Every year we as a collective decide it’s time to change things up. We make promises to ourselves, and to the people around us, that we will become better. We’ll start jogging, eat better, and save more money. But will doing any of these things make you a better person?

Spring semester is unique in that way. Summer gives you all the rest you need for Fall. However Spring is back to back with the last 3 months of non-stop focus and exhaustion. The only way this works is the invigoration that the New Year’s brings to students.

If you expect that a new found focus in January will create any lasting impact with your relationships or success, you’re wrong. Motivation to be organized could be helpful, and deciding to bring lunch to school every day instead of buying it would probably save you money in the long run. But neither of these choices will really create change.

Every day should be an opportunity for a resolution. How can today be better than yesterday? That determination you feel at the beginning of the year will only waver if you don’t persist.

The only person who can really impact your life is you, as cheesy as all of this sounds it’s repeated because it’s true. There’s one person responsible for you. And it’s not your mom.

Having conviction within yourself to break out of the monotony of your routine is key. It’s scary and you need to be brave, but perpetually putting things off ‘til tomorrow will never accomplish anything.

Keep in mind to be realistic, if you expect yourself to wake up tomorrow and become an expert in a new field, you’ll quickly become discouraged. The way to capture success is to make a goal you know is in reach, and to keep doing that as your progress.

New years could be a catalyst for your self-improvement, but it shouldn’t be a starting and stopping point. There’s a whole 365 days in between that matter just as much. Use them wisely.