New Year’s Resolutions are an obligatory custom that have become more of a tradition than an opportunity to improve oneself.

The fault in the New Year’s resolution tradition is that many people feel obligated to wait for the new year to change any of their bad habits and set goals for themselves. This is only an excuse to continue their bad habits and will result in failure when the new year comes.

We are all creatures of habit, and perhaps no habit is as time-honored as ditching your New Year’s resolutions almost as quickly as you write them down. While about 45 percent of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, only about 8 percent succeed, according to a University of Scranton study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

If people are really striving for self-improvement, then why can’t they set resolutions throughout the year? Honestly, there will always be room for improvement and we should have always be reflective on the way we live our lives and have daily goals for ourselves.

“People always say they are going to become a better person when the new year starts, but why wait till a new year? Why not change in March? November?” senior Nahom Nega said.

Speaking to some seniors, they had similar opinions to me on the issues of New Year’s resolutions.

Similarly, senior Tyla Holoman said, “Why do you have to wait for the year to change to change yourself? If you don’t like something about yourself just change it now.”

If you are set on making New Year’s resolutions, then strive to make realistic goals so that you won’t fail within the first week of January. For example, instead of setting a goal like losing 20 pounds and going to the gym daily, you can set a goal to have a healthy lifestyle and cut out junk food. If you don’t believe me, compare the amount of people in the gym on January 5th and 25th.