The year 2016 has come to a close and 2017 has just started. You know what that means. It is time for people everywhere to come up with their resolutions for the coming year and maybe even years to come. Whether it is to lose weight, stop smoking, become better at budgeting, or making some new hobbies, resolution posts and announcements are just about everywhere. For most people though those resolutions just won't stick though. But why though? These resolutions were made with utmost sincerity. So why do a majority of people seem to fall short of achieving or keeping up what weeks or months before they had meant with every fiber of their being?

One of the biggest obstacles to keeping resolutions are the resolutions themselves. Yeah, I know, that doesn't seem to make any sense. Think about it though. Most resolutions are supposed to bring about a change, a big change, and more often than not, too big of a change. The person's life is usually supposed to be almost completely changed. This sort of drastic change is not sustainable. Like most things in life, people naturally return to a state of homeostasis, or a normal balanced status. So the normal resolution in a way goes against our very nature. They are meant to take us out of our state of homeostasis to a state that is almost a complete 180 from what we were.

This does not mean that making resolutions is a bad thing. It is a good to try to become a better person. It is just that, like with everything else, moderation is the key. Instead of creating resolutions that are complete changes all at once, make smaller ones. Instead of trying to lose like 100 pounds that year, try maybe 20. Sure it will take longer to reach your goal, but you are more likely to accomplish whatever your goal was. Another good thing about making smaller resolutions is that as you go through the year you will feel more accomplished. Losing 5 pounds out of a wanted 20 looks a lot more encouraging then losing 5 pounds out of 100. With the goal seeming that much closer, you are more likely to keep going since the end is in sight. And hey, if you meet your goal halfway through the year, just set a new goal for yourself. You don't have to wait until the start of a new year to become a better you.