Shortly after the ball drops in New York City’s Times Square, the anticipation of finding a New Year’s kiss is long gone, the shouts of “Happy New Year” are no longer audible, and the minds of many Americans turn to one thought: the infamous New Year’s resolution.

A tradition that goes back as far as I can remember, New Year’s Resolutions have always been a trademark of bringing in the new year. Many of us make the clichéd resolution to lose 10 pounds, which explains why the gym is always so crowded in January and February. Common resolutions also include vows of trying to be on time (emphasis on the “trying”), to be nicer to people, and kicking old habits. This explains why the line for coffee in the morning is shorter in the New Year, and rush hour begins a little bit earlier.

However, as long as people have been making their resolutions, people have been breaking them just as long. A quick survey at a New Year’s party I recently attended revealed that only one person even remembered what her resolution from last year had been. Furthermore, she sheepishly admitted that she had not kept it. Thus, slowly but surely, the crowd at the gym starts to thin out (no pun intended), the morning coffee line kicks back into full swing, and rush hour creeps back to a more human hour.

Surely New Year’s Resolutions aren’t all that we make them out to be. If they really are so important, then shouldn’t we, as morally driven people, be able to carry them out? Perhaps the problem is our lack of perspective on what a whole year really is like. With modern diets and exercise programs, losing five pounds is something that can be accomplished in a matter of weeks, surely not a whole year. A more appropriate resolution may be to devote a few hours each week for fitness time.

On the same note, trying to be "on time" is too vague. Rather, have your resolution be to wake up 15 minutes earlier each day. Studies show that a low-stress morning leads to a low-stress day, and an extra 15 minutes should allow plenty of cushion time to get to your destination on punctually.

Lastly, it is extremely hard to quit any habit "cold turkey." By simply reducing your reliance on the habit, it should be easier to slowly veer away from it. For instance, rather than morning coffee, drink morning orange juice (fresh squeezed is healthiest). It lacks caffeine, so it won’t be as addictive, and it supplies you with a fair amount of your daily value of fruit.

All said, I hope that we all make more appropriate resolutions this year, and use them to our advantage in becoming better people. If not, I’ll be seeing you at the gym and in line for Starbucks in a couple of months. Either way, I wish you a Happy New Year and hope you make the most of it.