Every three-hundred and sixty-five days, on January 1st at twelve o’clock in the morning, a new year begins. Yes, the cliche goes, “New Year, new me,” but what does this really mean? The new year symbolizes a new start. You may have been asked the question, “what’s your New Year’s resolution?” and most people say self improvement or meeting career or job goals. In reality, studies show that only 8% of people who make resolutions keep them. Even though most people don’t keep their resolutions, it is good to make them anyway for a number of reasons. The first reason is to be honest with yourself in order to see how far you are from where you want to be. The second reason is that making New Year’s resolutions makes people feel hopeful and optimistic. You expect things can get better for you, for your work experience or for your community. Having a positive outlook on the future tends to motivate people to follow through with their resolutions. Third, most New Year’s resolutions have an impact on others also. Even if they are about individual self-improvement, they affect families, friends, colleagues and communities. Your resolution to stop procrastinating will allow for a positive team dynamic with your fellow students or co-workers. Finally, New Year’s resolutions not only inspire the person who set them, but also everyone around them. When you strive to do better, people around you tend to notice and start striving to do better also. When you focus on the future and focus on improvement, you necessarily inspire those around you. And these are just a few reasons why making a New Year’s resolution is very beneficial.