Christmas is finished, and a new year is upon us. There are two certainties with a new year. The first is that people are going to go out on New Year’s Eve, ready to ring in 2026 with confetti, champagne and wonderful anticipation.

The second is that some people are going to make new year’s resolutions, deluding themselves by the notion that change takes place on Jan. 1—that the heralding of a new year coincides with improvements.

What hooey.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to better yourself. It’s something that we, as imperfect beings, aspire to. However, the superstition that trading in the old calendar for a new one magically opens us up to take what we feel is wrong in our lives and turn it right is something that has hobbled mankind for decades.

Interestingly, only 31% of people in the United States even make resolutions for the new year, according to a Forbes poll, even though 62% of people feel pressured to set a resolution. About 80% of the respondents feel confident that they can achieve their resolutions. However, only 6% of survey respondents still are sticking with their resolutions after one year, with the majority of respondents throwing in the towel within three months.

There are a variety of resolutions, with the big five including improving fitness, improving finances, improving mental health, losing weight and improving diets. Only 1 in 4 vow to make more time for loved ones, 9% vow to learn a new skill, 7% vow to improve their work-life balance, and 3% vow to cut back on their alcohol.

Another snag is that people set multiple goals, with 45.5% setting three for the new year, 13.6% setting four, and 7.4% setting five. It’s almost like they’re throwing their resolutions against the wall to see what sticks.

The common reasons for failed resolutions include setting unrealistic goals, thinking that they’re going to achieve overnight and then getting upset when the bathroom scale doesn’t show a lower number when you step on it or the bathroom scale will show you an Adonis instead of a misshapen individual.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t try to improve yourself. The problem is that it’s not something that can be done through a large group mindset. History has shown that alcoholics and drug addicts won’t make changes for the better until they’re ready to, but just because the rest of us aren’t buried under a mountain of whiskey bottle or snorting cocaine doesn’t mean that we’re able to flip a mental switch on a whim and make ourselves beautiful.

I can tell you from experience that making improvements is a long and arduous process. I’ve vowed for years to lose weight, but it’s only in the last two or three that it’s becoming a reality. I ballooned up to 275 pounds at my peak, but I’ve been trying intermittent fasting, which involves eating within a short window and then not consuming anything—aside from water—for the other 14-16 hours in the day.

Results are coming. I’m now at 240 pounds. Obviously, I’d like to be down more, but dropping 35 pounds is nothing to sneeze at. The ideal weight range for a 6-foot man like me is 171, but the average weight is 210. That latter number is my goal. My pants are looser, with me dropping from a size 40 to a size 38.

I’m moving toward my goals because I made a vow to change—and that change did not start at the dawn of a new year. It was decided on my own personal schedule—when I was ready.

My sweetheart, Todd, was a little more ambitious with his weight loss goals years ago, dropping from 310 to about 190 through the Keto diet and walking about six miles a day. However, chronic back issues set him back, and much of the weight has returned. Todd wants to lose the weight again, but it’s not as easy to get back into the habits he had before.

I’ve suggested intermittent fasting to him, but he hasn’t committed to it. Whether he does is up to him. Likewise, he has suggested I do more walking or trips to the gym. I haven’t committed to that. Ironically, when I had a dog, I was always eager to take him walking during warmer weather. Who knows? Once I get another dog, I might take up Todd’s recommendation.

Whether you make improvements is done on your timetable—and no one else’s. Make your resolutions when you’re ready, and that will increase your likelihood of success.