Everyone knows that this time of year is meant for drafting up a list of things you would like to see happen in the new year. 2017 marks a fresh start,, and that means a new list of resolutions that may or may not get achieved. When looking at the past, people usually make their list of resolutions based on things they did not get finished during the previous year. In a way, this cliche tradition still carries on because of the fun involved with making semi-unobtainable goals. Expectations for New Year’s resolutions may be high, but the failure rate seems to be higher. Why does it seem that unrealistic goals are so attractive and elusive?

 New Year’s resolutions may be fun to make, but they do not always get completed.  About 38% of Americans never come close to achieving their New Year’s resolution. More likely than not, these resolutions get forgotten about shortly after their creation. These tasks do not seem to get done because of their broad nature. Most resolutions, such as eating healthy, are very unspecific. If resolutions were more more specific, they could be more attainable. In order to obtain that goal, there has to be a detailed plan or else it will fail. It has been noted that 24% of Americans continue to fail their New Year’s resolution year after year.

 After the holiday season, a bit of holiday remorse begins to set in. A week of indulging and enjoying yourself leads to motivations for New Year’s resolutions. You would be surprised by the amount of gym memberships and diet plans purchased at the start of the year. This is because a lot of resolutions are focused around self-improvement or self-appreciation. Common goals include losing weight, quitting smoking, eating healthier, drinking more water, or saving money. Right out of the starting gate, one can almost assume that these ideas are bound for  failure, but each year, New Year’s draws back a new crowd of hopefuls. “One of my resolutions was to buy a new car, but that really hasn’t happened yet,” said senior Mason Burris. New Year’s intentions are set pretty high, it is hard to get them down to a realistic level without killing your faith.

 In general, setting goals during any other time of the year can be reasonable, but even then, that goal will not happen if there is not adequate planning. But let us be real, New Year’s resolutions are a flop, but that does not mean 2017 has to be! Happy New Year, Wildcats.