Every year, about 45% of Americans make a list of what they wish to accomplish in a year. These New Year’s resolutions are meant to motivate people to get their life together or to stop a bad habit. But do they really motivate you?

The definition of a resolution is “a firm decision to do or not to do something.” Many resolutions don’t make it past January before they’re forgotten. Forgotten, at least, until next year when the inevitable question arises: Did you go through with your resolutions?

Researchers at the University of Scranton recently did a study that proved that only 75% of resolution makers made it through the first week. By June, halfway through the year, only 40% of the initial group kept up with their goals. The other 60% had given up or simply forgotten to take action to reach it.

One common goal is to lose a certain amount of weight in a year. Many gyms are filled in the beginning of January when the goals are fresh in people’s minds, but it’s the same every year: People move on from the matter and forget about it until the year is almost over, and the goal is unaccomplished.

Still, the same resolutions make their appearance every year, “but for real this time.” When it doesn’t get done, it just becomes a reminder of something that isn’t going right in one’s life. These get brought up around the holiday season when everyone is supposed to be cheerful, but it becomes difficult with failed goals on your mind.

New Year’s resolutions are reminders of the failed goals and bad habits you were supposed to break, but never got around to. Who would put themselves through the pain of being reminded of what they failed at around the holidays?

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