You all know exactly what I'm talking about when I say that New Year's resolutions rarely ever work out. Some very common ones we set for ourselves can be things like, "I'm going to exercise more" or, "I'm going to get this major project done" or (for all those introverts out there like myself), "I'm gong to put myself out there and meet new people!" Yeah, like that's ever going to happen. In all seriousness though, these should be very easy tasks, and we manage to keep up with our resolutions through January at least. So why is it so darn hard to keep up past that point? Well, lemme tell you some things.

First: we set these goals without actually laying out a plan. At the stroke of midnight everyone starts getting these great ideas and then they say to all their friends, "I'm gonna do a thing!" and then they wake up the next morning and think to themselves, "But how am I going to do this?" Easy. I'll use myself as an example. I have been planning out my resolution for a few weeks now. I know I need to loose a certain amount of weight before my wedding this summer, so I am going to change my eating habits to a more healthy style, and I m going to exercise more. Now for the actual layout of my master plan. I know my class schedule, so I have planned my workout everyday around that schedule. I have extra times added in as well just in case I happen to need more time one day to work on my senior project. As for eating better, I know what I have available on campus and have found some dieting charts that layout good greens and better proteins for me to choose from. I also know I can get these things on campus.

See, that wasn't so hard. All I needed was a plan.

Second, we set unrealistic goals. People, you know your daily schedule, you know how long you work, how long you need to eat and sleep and take care of yourself everyday, and for us college students, you know when your classes are and how much time you'll need for homework or lab work. I'll use myself as an example again. With all this in mind, I'm not going to set myself up with a schedule of near three hours of straight work out everyday or even every other day. I don't have the time for that! But if I set myself up with a nice schedule of an hour a day and leave the weekends free so that I can have that time to get any extra homework done as well as have some personal time to refresh and rejuvenate after a long week, then I'd say that's a pretty good schedule.

And last but not least, third: we make these goals for the wrong reasons. When setting these New Year's goals we tend to do it to impress others or maybe a friend said they wanted to do something so you decide to tag along. The thing is, these goals should be personal, they should mean something to us. My own is set so that I can fit my wedding dress this summer. I want to be a healthy weight and set myself toward a well balanced diet for a better lifestyle.

These goals don't have to be a pain or a bother, they simply need to me made with moderation in mind. This is my goal; to be healthy again. What's yours?