Well, it is the end of December. Christmas is over and everyone seems to have 2017 on their minds. So naturally, we are also all thinking about New Year’s Resolutions. It seems like everyone one every year and often it is the same one every year. Why, you ask? Well because no one can ever seem to keep their resolutions through January, let alone all the way through December.

So what are the most popular resolutions (that we can never keep) then? Well “Statistic Brain” lists the top 10 New Year’s Resolutions for 2015 to be:

1. Lose Weight
2. Getting Organized
3. Spend Less, Save More
4. Enjoy Life to the Fullest
5. Staying Fit and Healthy
6. Learn Something Exciting
7. Quit Smoking
8. Help Others in Their Dreams
9. Fall in Love
10. Spend More Time with Family

Now these all sound well and good, but they aren’t so great when none of us can make it through the year achieving them. Only 8% of people were reported as having achieved their goal over the past year. This isn’t to mean that no one tried. We don’t just sit down and make these goals on the 31st to forget them by morning (although with a little bit too much celebrating who knows). This year 75% of people reported that they kept their goal through the first week. However, that number dwindled down rather quickly as time went on until after six months only 46% of people claimed to have kept their goals. If these goals are so important to us, why do we let them go so easily?

I think it is because we set the standards to high for ourselves or have unrealistic expectations. If you have never worked out and your goal is to go to the gym everyday for a year, there is a strong chance you are going to let this fall through the cracks rather quickly. However, if you make your goal to go to the gym once or twice a week it is much more likely you will adhere to your goal over a long period of time. You may even often exceed your goal. Imagine if your goal was to go to the gym twice a week and one week you go four times. Rather than feeling you have failed because you didn’t go every day, you can be happy with yourself for meeting your goal and more.

Additionally, I found it interesting that there is actually a large amount of people who don’t even make a New Year’s Resolutions in the first place. According to “Statistic Brain,” in 2015, 38% of people did not make a resolution. Now, they may have good reasons to not make resolutions (never meeting your goal is not a good enough reason for me), but I think this phenomena is much more important than people seem to realize. Resolutions mean more than some people realize. They hold you accountable in the New Year. They give you goals to strive for even if you may not succeed in them all year long.

So this year, set some goals you know you can achieve and commit yourself to being your best you all year long. Bring it, 2017.