As the ball drops to signify the beginning of a new year, millions of people set out on journeys to better themselves. Many make these so called “New Year’s resolutions” in order to change something that they don’t like about themselves. However, why must these life-changing journeys begin on January 1st? The fact that most of the monumental changing points in history have not occurred on January 1st proves that the world does not wait for that specific date to change. So why should you? “No one ever keeps them,” junior Taylor Schram said. “They all get excited at the beginning of the year, but they hardly ever follow through.” According to a study done by Goalfree.com, only 8% of people who have made a New Year’s resolution in the past have actually achieved their goal. In the troubled times that we are in, you would suspect for people to make more resolutions in order to improve their lives. However, the same study reports that only 45% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, a decrease from 88% of those who have made one in the past. “Resolutions need to have more subsistence,” junior Anna Baumgartner said, “People need to make long term goals to make their resolutions work.” Although many resolutions may not last long, the custom of making New Year’s resolutions date back to the ancient times when Janus, a mythical king of Rome, became the head of the calendar. Janus had two heads, one looking back at the past and one looking ahead to the future. These two heads emerged as the symbol for resolutions, and many Romans began to give gifts and forge broken relationships on New Year’s Day. With this custom starting so long ago, it is quite obvious that people have come up with helpful tricks in order to achieve their resolutions. “I think it’s easier to set smaller goals. Otherwise, I never actually achieve anything,” sophomore Erica Anderson said. While resolutions are hard to keep, they offer rewards that are worth more than every chocolate piece you had to decline and every carrot stick you ate instead. From losing weight to spending time with friends and family, every resolution has a positive reward waiting to be grasped. “I think they [New Year’s resolutions] are good to have. You’ll have a goal to work for,” senior Jennifer Hess said. Today, people live in challenging times in which they must have goals and a little bit of hope in order to stay afloat. New Year’s resolutions may be silly and rarely ever work, but people should still have resolutions and goals that they want to achieve. These resolutions don’t need to be made on January 1st, but they should still be made. Resolutions give people the hope of having a better life. Although New Year’s Resolutions may be doubted, hope and the chance of a better life should never be.