New Year’s Resolutions have become a societal trend that can inspire growth, but most people quit within the first month, leading to stress and shame.

Setting goals and improving yourself is a positive way to start a year. Most resolutions revolve around positive life changes, such as quitting a bad habit, beginning a good one or improving on something.

According to a Forbes article, New Year’s resolutions are inherently hopeful and optimistic, and this positive outlook motivates action.

Setting beneficial goals at the beginning of a new year sets you up to act on those goals throughout the year, but some people quit trying after their first slip-up. Instead, it’s essential not to have an all-or-nothing attitude about it and give it another try.

It’s not easy to adopt a new habit, but by trying it more than once, the chances of it sticking grow.

A blog on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s website discusses that some reasons people quit their resolutions are because the goal they set is unrealistic or takes too long to accomplish.

There are things to remember when setting resolutions or goals that can help make them feel more attainable, such as setting reachable goals that you can imagine reaching.

The most important thing is to set a goal that motivates you, as that motivation will lead to your success. According to the aforementioned blog, focusing on progress rather than perfection and practicing self-compassion is also essential.

According to USA Today, so many people quit their resolutions that the second Friday in January is often called “Quitter’s Day.”

They also encourage those who fail at their resolution to blame the plan rather than themselves and take new action steps to reach their set goal.

While it’s normal to feel down about failing to accomplish a goal, it will only hurt you to be stringent and hard on yourself when you make a mistake.

While New Year’s resolutions may not be helpful to everyone, if they motivate you to try a little harder or make a beneficial change in your life, it doesn’t hurt to set a few and try, as long as you don’t stress yourself out or beat yourself up along the way.

The most harmful thing that can come from resolutions is setting unattainable goals, blaming yourself when you cannot reach them and not giving it another go.

When the end of January comes, think about your resolutions; if you have “failed” already, find a new approach and try it again.

Kate Beske is a 21-year-old journalism senior from Destrehan, La.