Day one, you wake up and roll out of your warm and cozy bed motivated to conquer your goals for the New Year. Day two, continuing to stay positive and motivated, but longing for relaxation. Unfortunately, by the end of the week this becomes the normal routine in accomplishing New Year’s resolutions. The blunt reality is that failure is inevitable when unrealistic expectations are created for the New Year.

According to Forbes magazine, 8% of people who make New Year’s resolutions actually follow through with them throughout the year. The question is then, why do 92.1% of people who set out personal goals for the New Year fail? The answer lies in where your heart is in making goals for the new year, and including a realistic method for setting yourself up for success from the beginning.

For goals such as fitness and health, individuals are successful initially in exercising, but eventually, going to the gym gets put to the end of the schedule. In scope, it has the potential to be successful, but in reality, there is no clear method for just “getting fit”.

Success is achieved when there is gradual improvement towards goals. Starting out all in or all out is not an ideal plan because eventually laziness will override. Setting aside specific time in your daily schedule that gradually increases intensity proves to show improvement over a longer span of time.

January 1 is too often seen as the starting over point for individuals to make the upcoming year the best yet through how they live it. Disappointment eventually arises, but it can be avoided by looking at the new year as a new chance to try new things and work hard one day at a time instead of looking towards where you intend to be by the end of the year.

The ‘New Year, New Me’ era is upon us, and every year, resolutions are established, striving towards self improvement. Goals for the new year are not corrupt in and of itself, but it is the methods behind accomplishment. When there is no gradual improvement in achieving these goals, that is when failure arises.