By Madison Thompson —

The new year is here. It is a time for new beginnings. It’s also a time for the traditional New Year’s resolution.

While Forbes says about eight percent of people achieve their New Year’s resolutions, goal-setting is still a popular motivator for the new year.

Resolutions range from academics,  spending time with family and friends and personal health. They serve as reminders for what is important and where we need to focus.

Making resolutions doesn’t need to be limited to once a year.

Setting up one large goal and fulfilling it for the entire year can be a daunting task. It’s relatively unrealistic and sets up participants for failure.

Celebrating New Year’s resolutions is like celebrating Valentine’s Day. It should be done every day, but one particular day is set aside as a reminder.

It is better to set up small goals throughout the year. Incremental goals can seem more manageable and amount to a larger goal. Instead, the community should seek monthly goals instead of New Year’s resolutions.

For example, I intend to begin meditation as a way to evaluate the activities of the day. The schedule will not begin with meditating every day. Instead, I will try two or three times a week and gradually work up to every day.

The same thing applies to other goals. Start out with a smaller, routine schedule and allow time to adjust. Work your way up until you meet your end goal.

Diving in head first works for some people and doesn’t work for others, which is alright. It is important to know what works best and how to implement it.

Regardless of whether or not you participate in annual goal setting, the best of luck is with you.