This is the year. The year where I set my goals and finish what I started. I’m getting up at 4 a.m. and hitting the gym!

Oh, those cheese sticks look good!

OK. Next year. Next year is the year I finish my goals. Well, maybe.

It’s the time of the year where everyone decides to clean their bathrooms more often, exercise more, stop smoking and do a complete U-turn in their lives all in a day’s work. New Year’s resolutions have been set and broken for so many years that it’s no surprise that so many people don’t follow through with them. Jan. 1 seems to be the beginning of a web of lies so many people try to trick themselves into.

Gyms are packed beyond belief, but two months later you won’t see a single soul there after 9 p.m. Many steer clear of fast food restaurants for a good two weeks before breaking down and indulging in a greasy, hot taco from Jack in the Box.

It seems that early February seems to be the resolutions expiration date. ‘I’ll start Monday!’ many say as they finish their burger. ‘Friday, I promise Friday.’ Right.

Will power and dedication are what’s important when trying to keep your own word. Anyone can say they promise to be healthier or promise to stop smoking, but actually staying true to what you say is what ultimately tests your dedication to it.

Junior interior design major Danielle Low knows all about New Year’s resolutions.

“I promised myself I wouldn’t let my house go one day without me cleaning,” Low said. “It’s now mid-January and I can’t even see my bedroom floor.”

Exercising, not smoking, making money or even starting school are just many resolutions that people make and break every year.

Some ways to ensure you stick to your goals are by planning and attacking. Aim low. Setting your goals way too high just spells out failure. Saying you want to lose 80 pounds in two weeks just isn’t realistic. Be real and set standards you can actually accomplish. Plan out your entire year, don’t just focus on January.

That’s great that you want to be more organized by the time school starts, but why not say you want to still be on top of things by finals or even midterms. Yes, I understand it’s hard. But life is hard. So deal with it.

Write your goals down and make sure you follow and keep on top of them. Keeping a daily journal helps you see exactly what you have accomplished and what your next goal should be.

Another way to make sure you keep on it is to tell the world. Tell your mom, dad, friends, neighbor and that weird guy who stares at you in the supermarket what your resolution is, because if you give up they will all know. It’s true.

Sophomore music major Carol Andrews agrees that a failure is what you’ll be in their eyes.

“Who likes to be looked at like that?” Andrews said. “If you tell people and don’t follow through they’ll know you gave up.”

Having everyone cheer you on or know what you are doing will ensure you will carry out your resolutions. But also having those haters nearby can cause you to fall off your path or keep on going.

Now, in no way am I trying to stray you away from making goals. By all means, set those goals, baby! The satisfaction you gain and feel from knowing you succeeded is unexplainable. But, just remember to stay on top of your game, because if you don’t those haters watching will be there to remind you when you fall off.

Rosa Pastran can be reached at [email protected]