Earlier this month, people from all around the world made promises to do something good, or to stop doing something bad in hopes of bettering themselves. Resolutions can be made at any point in time, but we find it most simple to make them when we see a clean slate. This is why around 1 in 3 Americans choose the New Year to mark the start of a promise to themselves.

Forbes.com notes a mere 8 percent of people have success with keeping their New Year’s resolution. That means that 92 percent of us make a promise to improve upon something in our lives and fail by the end of the year. Why is it that each year we find time to think about a promise to make, yet usually do not keep it?

Ben Hallman of The Huffington Post said, “Change is hard, but for a while we seem to be able to keep it up.” We have a spurt of motivation starting with the New Year. We see an opportunity to start fresh and be a new and improved version of ourselves, then are lucky if we keep the momentum going just a few days later.

This idea of starting over when the New Year arises is unrealistic. We cannot forget to reflect upon the unique struggles and successes that we each have overcome in the last year. While most of us make resolutions that are vague and common, we neglect to think about the specific things we really need to improve on in the coming year.

Americans too often make resolutions that sound like wishes instead of goals. We say we want to lose more weight, save money and get a better job. We tend to state what we want but not how to get it. We have all achieved goals in our lives, but they usually don’t arise from our New Year’s wish. Our goals are achieved through strategic planning and determination.

Make a measurable and specific list of the promises you want to make for yourself, but don’t continue to make them on Jan. 1. Webmd.com commented on the falling out of New Year’s Resolutions, stating, “Here’s a New Year’s resolution anyone can keep: Resolve not to make anymore New Year’s Resolutions.”

Go ahead and keep making the promises to lose weight, save money and get a better job. But, make them on a day you see fit for yourself. Take Jan. 1 as a day to reflect on the year passing. Then, when you are ready, make the bold move to make that new promise to yourself. Resolutions don’t need a New Year.