It is an often talked about tradition that every new year people make a promise to themselves to improve in some way. These New Year’s resolutions are rarely kept and most people forget about them all together. Some many places in the world, such as Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, and parts of Canada do not even partake in the making of a New Year’s resolution.

But the start of the calendar year is not always when people choose to make new resolutions. Some may resolve to change at their birthday or the start of a new school year. This particular time of year may feel more like a new start than halfway through the school year. Resident Teacher Andrew Lopez had this to say on the topic: “I never make New Year’s Resolutions, but I can see why they would be important for some people. To me they are a bit cliche but to some people they can help to reevaluate goals. When it’s seen as a seasonal thing it sets people up for failure, like you only have to stick with it for a couple months.” Lopez also mentioned what he feels is a better time to set a goal for yourself: “The Fall is the best time to make a resolution. It gives you a good chance to get prepared and get started before the stress of the holidays. It’s important to lay a strong foundation.”

According to Statisticbrain.com, only 8% of Americans keep their New Year’s resolutions. However, if you are determined to make a resolution and stick to it, there are a few ways to follow through. A good way to start is to only deal with one change at a time and make sure it is small enough to be manageable. Something big like entirely quitting one habit such as completely changing what you eat is what often leads to failure. Doing something in smaller amounts each time is what more times than not can cause success. Getting support from others is also a great way to quit a bad a habit or start a new good one.

Perhaps people shouldn’t rely on a set date to change their life for the better. While it may be hard to do breaking a habit to become more positive and healthy should be apart of our daily routine and we can always take small steps to improve our lives in some way.