While New Year's Eve is behind us, it's not too late to spark up a resolution. And while many people drop their resolutions by February, I still think that New Year's resolutions are more about starting the year off with goals than about actually completing the resolution. Therefore I believe that everyone should have a New Year's resolution, regardless of their beliefs.

New Year's resolutions have become a superstition over the past few years. They have become widely known as silly goals that people forget about within the first few weeks or months. However true this may be, resolutions are still important for a symbol of hope and happiness for the upcoming year.

As a New Year's resolution enthusiast, I strongly believe that resolutions have the power to change life direction. These resolutions set goals for yourself and push you to go further and be greater. Plus, our brain is goal-oriented and strives to follow the path and goals that are laid out for it. Without goals, most of us would be sitting around and wasting time, money, and resources. Goals enable us to be the best version of ourselves, and while you can always set goals, a New Year gives new beginnings.

We all know the age-old saying "New Year, new me." And we all roll our eyes at it everytime someone says it. And while very rarely does anyone actually become an entirely different person over the course of a new year, they do sometimes change. Some for better and some for worse. And while we laugh at the people that use the phrase, we should actually be following their footsteps. They have made a plan to change, whether it be their lifestyle, their weight, or their habits. And I am a strong believer that if you don't like something about yourself, change it.

Another amazing thing that resolutions provide is happiness. Yes, literal happiness. Recently there was a neurological study that showed that humans achieve the greatest happiness through pursuit. By actively pursuing and chasing a goal we are activating the brain's pleasure sensors, thus making us happy. In actuality though, we derive much more pleasure from chasing our goals than actually achieving them.

Lastly, and my greatest argument for the use of resolutions, is that it's much better than the alternative. Without goals, we lack motivation and pleasure and success. Without the resolutions, New Year's being the biggest, we wouldn't have a purpose in our life. So set goals for yourself and don't be afraid to change how you are perceived. New Year's resolutions are just the first step to changing who you are and who you want to be.