Every year on Dec. 31, people sit down and decide what they will do in the coming year, such as going to the gym every day, becoming an early bird, and using every ounce of their free time productively. New Year's Day brings hope in becoming a new person who uses color-coded planners and drinks a gallon of water every day, but then by mid-January, reality sets in. It is unrealistic to expect yourself to change all of your habits in one day. New Year's resolutions are usually too broad, which automatically sets one up for failure.
One problem with resolutions is that they tend to be humongous, dramatic changes expected during one of the hardest times of the year. After the holidays and a little time to rest, people expect to change everything about their lives. "Exercising every day," "never procrastinating," and "only eating healthy, home-cooked meals" sound very impressive, but are unreasonable expectations to set. Broad, unrealistic goals leave no room for mistakes and can make one feel like a failure if they do not follow their meal plan or get sick and can not attend the gym for a couple of days.
