With every new year comes New Year resolutions.

Social media is commonplace for people to share the goals they wish to achieve within the next 365 days. The most common goal shared among the population is the desire to get fit.

At the beginning of the year, a countless number of physique pictures are posted online with captions expressing determination and the want for a better lifestyle.

However, these transformation updates only last about a month.

This is because individuals try to jump into a lifestyle that is unrealistic for them.

Seeking motivation and looking to others for inspiration is only beneficial when that person has a similar lifestyle to your own.

Setting the goal of going to the gym six days a week, just because the person you want to look like goes to the gym six days a week, is an unattainable goal for someone just starting their fitness journey.

Setting the goal to get up at five in the morning and cook a bag of spinach just because the person you want to look like gets up at five in the morning and cooks a bag of spinach is an unattainable goal for a night owl whose breakfast is a venti coffee at 2 in the afternoon.

The better you set your goals around your lifestyle, the more attainable your goals are.

The more attainable your goals are, the more you can follow through with them.

By evaluating and taking notes on how it is you go about yourself, your daily routine, your financial standing and everything else that contributes to an honest day of work, you have a better understanding of how you can go about accomplishing the goals you are out to reach.

Instead of going to the gym every day of the week, look at your weekly schedule and determine which days you have free time and which days you do not.

If you enjoy sleeping in, do just that. Take your run in the afternoon instead.

If you like pasta and breadsticks, eat it all. Balance your daily intake with a meal that is healthy for your heart as well as one that is good for the soul.

Being realistic throughout the process of bettering yourself is the key to making the next 365 days doable.

The best part about the process is that you are in control.

You get to make the calls. You get to decide your attitude. You get to decide your effort. You get to decide what works best for you and what does not. You get to decide when things need changing.

Only you know yourself, and why would you not give yourself what you know you need?

As they say, anything is possible and attainable goals help you reach those possibilities.