5, 4, 3, 2, 1…Happy New Year! Hello 2012, a new year means new changes, a new start, and new beginnings. 

For most people the start of the New Year means it’s time for a New Year’s resolution and for many it is a chance to break bad habits. Unfortunately, few people end up following through with their resolutions. Each year thousands will make promises to themselves that they will never keep.

“Every year my resolution is to not procrastinate, and every year it does not work out,” Says Junior Caroline Amick.

Mastering a New Year’s resolution takes drive, commitment, and focus. A study shows that most people do not have the required drive, as about 45% of adults make one or more resolution each year, but after a week only 75% of them are successful. After a month only 64% percent keep up with their resolutions and after 6 months it drops to 46%.

Every year people continue to make these resolutions as a tradition even though in the past they have never followed through with their commitment and have been unsuccessful.

Sophomore Sarah Wetherall starts out the New Year with the best intentions of keeping her resolutions but she never manages to.

“It’s a new Year and a new chance to start life off right, so I try and keep my New Year’s resolutions as long as I can but they usually end in about a month,” says Wetherall.

Common resolutions often focus on being healthy, and weight loss is the number one news year resolution. For the month of January gyms are crowded, pantries are stocked with the healthiest foods, and more people are exercising and trying to be healthy.  After about a month, however, the healthy trends die down and people return to the same old bad habits. It is easy to keep up with promises for a month but after that the lack of commitment starts to show.

Freshman Stephanie Brougher notices this when she exercises. 

“When I go to the gym in January it is really crowded for about a month and a half, then it drastically changes because people stop going and give up,” says Brougher. 

 It is hard to make such big changes in life and making resolutions just seems routine for most people. It is great to start out the New Year by making changes, but maintaining those changes throughout the year is the important part. It seems to be more effort than most are willing to give.

Not everyone chooses to make a resolution though. Some people do not see the point in making a promise they are most likely going to break.

 “I think New Year’s resolutions are just stupid because if someone really wanted to make a change then why would they wait until January? They should start then” says Junior Jonah Whiteside.

Why do so many people continue with the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions when history shows they are not likely to complete them? If someone really wants to make a change they should not wait until the New Year. They should make changes because they want or need to, not because it is a new year. A New Year’s resolution sounds great in theory but looking at the success rate proves that they are not very useful.