As many as 40% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, reflecting on the past and making new efforts to improve themselves, according to ProactiveMindfulness.com.

Common resolutions include saving money, working out, keeping better track of time or eating healthier foods, according to Parade.com. Although people are determined to keep these resolutions, it is rare that they stick to them until the end of the year.

“I have the same resolution every year and that is to reduce waste in our house,” enrollment clerk Amrey Siewart said. “That usually lasts a good, steady four months until sports gets too crazy.”

People often repeat resolutions because they feel that they have not achieved their goals in the past year; they see the new year as another chance to shoot for their targets.

“Last year [my new year’s resolution] was to be better at time management,” senior Aliyah Davis said. “I need to get my time management better before college starts, so that’s probably going to be it again.”

While habits drive some familiar goals to return year after year, new ones are bound to appear as well, especially under changing circumstances such as new environments and jobs.

“There are some resolutions I make and fail to keep every year, like eating healthy and getting in shape,” senior Katie Khim said. “But this year specifically I want to make sure I finish and graduate high school strong and get a good start in college.”

80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February, but people continue to make them on a yearly basis, according to Psychology Today. Another common reason, perhaps, is that people see the change in the year as a new burst of ambition. This encourages people to continue making resolutions despite the high possibility of failure.

“I think we make New Year’s resolutions because the new year feels like a fresh slate,” Khim said. “Technically no time’s a bad time to improve, but there’s something extra motivating about a new year.”