We’ve all heard it: HAPPY NEW YEAR. What are you changing in your life? What’s the newest resolution? Among the most common resolutions are losing weight, falling in love, saving more money, enjoying life, staying healthy and spending more time with family. Surprisingly enough, 45% of Americans make their New Year’s resolutions. Undoubtedly, I figured that number would be drastically lower. We should make an effort to be more sympathetic to those fighting to overcome their obstacles.

It’s mostly important to realize that New Year’s isn’t the only day to declare a healthier and happier lifestyle. It is one page out of 365. Everyday qualifies as a good day! Why wait? With the most common goals including relationships, spending habits, weight goals and education or self improvement resolutions, why not start making healthy changes today? It’s always a great day to improve on these things.

It’s also notable that the other 55% of people wrestle with themselves to triumph over the temptations of sweets, material changes, diets and spending habits. The judgment they face by society deems them failures. Let’s face it, you and I both thought more people fell through with these resolutions.

However, only some will fail to set out and achieve their goals set at the beginning of the year, and they will do it with over half of their fellow Americans. 55% of these people don’t change much about their lifestyle at all because of the New Year’s standards. I don’t blame them with all of the scrutiny.

On the other hand, for a few individuals, the midnight strike of the clock is a perfect opportunity to gear up for a change. It is a push in the right direction, peer pressure even. It’s inspiration to be a better you, not necessarily a ‘new you’, perhaps just the best version of you. You will always be you: make your days’ count. Making better choices for your body, your pocket, and in your relationships are always stable and positive options as well.

However, this resolution norm hasn’t seemed to take over all of America quite yet. At the end of the day you’re still you, and I’m still me. Even if you lose a couple of pounds, dye your hair or stop spending so much money on unnecessary things, you’ve still got the same ole’ personality. Your appearance and habits may appear to be quite different, but you’re still the same you. This could mean that you’ve become a very improved you, or a very bad version of you, but resolutions are just that- goals that you may or may not choose to achieve. And that is alright because no matter what New Year’s does for you, it’s just one day out of 365 to be a different you.