Now that it’s January, the temperature has finally started to drop, 2016 has begun, and it’s once again the time of year to hear the discussion of New Year’s Resolutions.

It has become common for people to see January as a time to reflect on the previous year and make goals for the new one. The most popular resolutions are generally the same every year: lose weight, get organized, spend less, enjoy life to the fullest, stay fit, and get more sleep. All of these vows sound great, and they may be easy to follow during the first week of January, but the hardest part is sticking to them.

Unfortunately, resolutions are infamous for being left behind after the month of January. As the weeks pass, people begin to neglect their resolutions more and more until they forget about what they wanted to accomplish altogether and revert back to old habits. 

Statistic Brain Research Institute reported that only eight percent of people were actually able to achieve their resolution by the end of 2015. This lack of success has given New Year’s Resolutions a bad reputation as empty promises that are rarely lived up to.

Personally, I think it is unfortunate that resolutions are not followed through by most people. The end of a year is a great time to evaluate how you want to improve yourself, and resolutions can be very beneficial to your body, mind and spirit, if followed through.

One reason why many people may not be able to stick to their resolutions is that the goals they have made for themselves are too broad or simply unrealistic. When making a goal, you need to have a plan in mind of how you will achieve it. Instead of just saying that you want to lose weight, try making a goal to go the gym once a week, or substitute one meal a day for a healthier alternative, and then gradually increase how much you are doing those things overtime in a way that works for you. You will find that you are actually able to follow your resolution when you take the time to think about and plan how you are going to accomplish it.

While January 1 may be a popular time to resolve to make positive changes in your life, it is certainly not the only time you can decide to do this. People often forget that they have the power to change their actions for the better at any moment. There is a lot of pressure to stay the same, however, we all need to realize that change is good.

If you really want to be a better version of yourself in 2016, make smaller, more specific and realistic goals, and continue to reevaluate them frequently—not only at the start of every January. In order to make 2016 a great year or not, the choice is yours.