As the year comes to a close, it is a tradition for many to set goals or create New Year’s resolutions for the upcoming year in hope of bettering themselves. However, setting these goals with no plan to achieve them makes the initial goal setting meaningless.

“I don’t make New Year’s resolutions because they never end up being a priority,” sophomore Maanas Kollegal said. “When I do set them, I usually end up becoming preoccupied with other things.”

By simply stating hopes and desires, it becomes easy to forget to follow or work towards New Year’s resolutions. Writing down the steps that must be taken to accomplish the goals will ensure that you can successfully accomplish your New Year’s resolutions.

“It’s envisioning where you want to be and setting a goal for yourself,” junior Parth Thakur said. “If you can envision what you want in the next year or whatever timeline you want, you are able to stay on track of your goals and keep pushing.”

Another simple way for an individual to remember New Year’s resolutions is to inform their close friends or family about their goals and ask for reminders. Thakur attributes a large part of his success for his 2018 resolutions to his family and friends.

“Your family members and your friends are your support group,” Thakur said. “They’re the ones that allow you to finish and complete your resolutions.”

By picking goals that have a true impact on your life, there is a greater incentive for an individual to work towards a goal.

“If losing ten pounds is your New Year’s resolution, and it decides whether or not you get into the military or something, and joining the military is something important in your life, then you will have a lot of motivation,” Kollegal said. “But if being overweight is not really affecting your life, then you probably won’t have motivation to reach the goal.”

So as the year and decade comes to a close, don’t simply write your dreams as your resolutions, but write down the steps you must take to achieve them.