We have all created and shared our New Year’s resolution with others, but does anything ever happen after that initial moment? Have you ever given up on your resolution early or never even gave it a try? The conversations around all the resolutions fade as we get busy being students or getting back to work after the holidays.

I found it surprising, and at the same time funny, that there is a national holiday for quitting your New Year’s resolution that falls just about two weeks after the new year on January 17. This day is supposed to serve as a guilt-free chance to back out of what you initially had set for your resolutions. 

I think resolutions are a great way to meet your goals and aspirations for 2023. Almost everyone can agree on this, yet, it’s largely believed that most people fail to stick to their goals in the long run.

Whether you work or are a full-time student, adding in any additional task to your day can be overwhelming – even if adding that thing is intended to better your life or help you achieve a goal. This can make it seem intimidating to maintain a New Year’s resolution, but it all comes down to the way you set yourself up for the new year with your goal. 

People set themselves up for failure when picking a goal for many reasons and still tend to feel guilty about not completing their goal.

When picking a goal, you have to gauge where you’re at in comparison to where you want to be. You can’t go from zero to one hundred and expect to complete it in a short amount of time. This is a hard rule to follow, especially if you are a beginner at what you are hoping to accomplish throughout the year.

Starting small and adding on later as this new activity becomes part of your daily routine is one way to prevent feeling overwhelmed or like your resolution is unattainable.

The satisfaction from just completing something, no matter how small, is very addicting and makes you want to keep pushing to complete more goals.

When picking a goal, you have to look at the time commitment. Being a student, I know I have minimal time to squeeze in extra activities. Because of this, I know the time for completing something or progressing may be a little slower. I give myself grace and understand that there’s no issue with this. 

While the excitement surrounding the new year is fun, and setting goals is a fun tradition that sets you up for a fresh start in the new year, let National Ditch Your New Year’s Resolution Day be a reminder that many people struggle to reach their goals, and that’s okay.

A sustainable resolution will take time and bring you happiness and growth beyond the first two weeks of the year.