New year, new me. Right? Actually, not so much. According to U.S. News & World Report, 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail by February. 

Whether the goal is to visit the gym more often, drink less coffee or spend less money, those who make resolutions may feel as though it is a way to reinvent themselves. However, many resolutions are unrealistic and in making them, people find aspects of themselves that they do not like. Additionally, unsuccessfully following through with a goal leaves a person with a sense of failure. “Freshman year I thought I was going to get a 4.0 GPA; I didn’t really follow through that well,” said Renee Lee, 12. Resolving to get more sleep in 2020, Marielle Denning, 11, did not keep her resolution for long. “I already failed. I was up until 2 a.m. last night, and it is only January 6,” Denning said. 

That being said, resolutions have the potential to motivate. “I think that they are really helpful because they can give a lot of motivation for people who might be lacking,” Ashwin Wariar, 11, said. Last year, Wariar resolved to move toward a healthier and more nutritious diet. He achieved his goal but points out that problems can arise when people are too hard on themselves. “I hope that when people make resolutions, they don’t follow it religiously in that they’re not forcing themselves because that can lead to problematic behavior,” Wariar said. 

“I don’t think resolutions are bad per se, just ineffective,” Lee said. Instead, setting a goal is better because they can begin at any time throughout the year. According to Forbes, goals are not as general as resolutions which makes them more effective and easier to take immediate action in reaching them. Why push off an ineffective resolution until January 1 when a goal can be set and worked toward now?