The new year is in full force and resolutions are fresh in people’s minds. But before taking that proverbial plunge, let’s take a moment and really think about what we’re getting ourselves into.

Look, I get it. When that ball drops at midnight, everyone cheers, downs some drinks and proclaims to Facebook that change is a’comin’. We’re going to pile on the salads, hit the gym and live healthier, and that unfinished pack of cigarettes is going straight in the trash.

The arrival of the new year speaks to the part of us that likes to set long-term goals, but I feel like these typically come from short-term thinking.

We love to see results, and there’s nothing more motivating than the thought of crossing the finish line, but New Year’s resolutions should be more than just quietly musing about how nice it would be to actually do it. It helps to take a thoughtful approach to any lifestyle changes we want to make.

After all, there’s nothing worse than underestimating a challenge and getting burned out as a result.

If you want to lose a few pounds this year, don’t throw yourself at the weight machines just yet. Take a little time to work out a plan. Figure out how many calories you typically take in and devise ways to burn them off efficiently.

In order to quit smoking, rather than stopping cold turkey, it might actually be more reasonable to gradually decrease the number of cigarettes you smoke daily over the course of the year, rather than quitting cold turkey.

A New Year’s resolution should be just that – a resolution. Rather than a preconceived endpoint to work toward, perhaps treating it as a jumping-off point for newer, more positive habits and applying some long-term thinking is a better strategy this year.

Unless you want to stop procrastinating this year. Maybe you should leave that one alone until a later date.