We are nearly four months into the new year, or exactly 82 days by the time this goes to print. I thought it would be an OK time to check up on New Year’s resolutions, mainly because I have completely neglected mine. 

For 2017, Americans had some pretty generic resolutions, with “get healthy” and “get organized” topping NBC’s list. There were also the clichés of travel, read more and live life to the fullest.

I don’t have to tell you that the January trend of getting healthy after the holiday season in preparation of a new year — and a new you —  frequently bottoms out. 

Gym memberships go through the roof, only to find tracks and treadmills empty by the time Valentine’s Day comes around. 

However, this idea of a “new you” is a common thread that runs throughout most of the top resolutions. 

People aspire to read more to become a more educated, cultured “you.”

Living life to the fullest indicates a turning point in your life — you used to be dull and lazy, but now you live every day to the fullest. Go New You!

New You is better. New You goes to the gym and does more than Snapchat on the machines. New You reads, and not books about Amy Schumer’s life, but novels with nuanced themes and vague titles.  

But how realistic is this? We already continually fail to keep our health resolutions; is there any reason to think that we could fulfill the other goals we set for ourselves?

Frankly, no. Perhaps you will read one or two more books this year, or make a real attempt at being unplugged. And a select few of us will actually succeed at becoming the New You.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with sticking to our old ways, it just feels like a defeat after setting a lofty goal and then falling off the wagon within a month.

However, it is not our fault. New Year resolutions are doomed from the start. 

They start off as unrealistic ideals —how many people can really go from eating fast food three times a week to salads for every lunch? It’s hard. 

Second, we frequently wait until the new year to make our goal a reality, as opposed to just starting once we decided to make a change. It might actually become a part of a routine that can lead to sustained change.

This way, we might acutal acheive the goals we set for ourselves.

Goal-setting is not a one-and-done exclamation of a changed lifestyle, but more likely a series of small steps that compound on one another. 

Third, resolutions require sacrifice. There’s a reason that we don’t all pick up and hike the Alps just because we want to travel more. Some of us — not yours truly because I’m a college student — have jobs and responsibilities and practices that require scheduling and time. And these parts of our lives are fulfilling, even if they don’t have the glamour or excitement of a last minute vacation. 

So, instead of vowing to make it through the newest, trendiest book or eating vegan for an entire 365 days, take it slow. 

Re-read an old favorite and travel more more by exploring the city you live in. Your room is fine the way it is, and it’s not as though skipping the gym to watch a good movie or hang out with friends is going to kill you. 

After all, your goals are great, but they can probably wait until next year.

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