96% of those who don’t create an annual resolution are unsuccessful in reaching those goals, from losing weight to returning to school. This percentage is far lower than the approximately half of people who made resolutions who did reach their goals.

This may seem like just a matter of semantics, but these words hold real-world weight. Stating a goal simply determines the end toward which you will direct your effort. 

Let’s also revisit the earlier stat that I shared, which based on a 2016 study showed that of the 41% of Americans who make New Year’s resolutions, only 9% successfully keep them by year-end. For context, consider that at the time of that study’s publication, the U.S. population was 323 million.

Crunching the numbers, you find that 12 million Americans actually did achieve their resolutions, and this number would be still higher based on today’s population. When nearly 12 million people succeed in something based on taking a simple action, the method isn’t exactly a bust.

Real change—whether individually or organizationally—is always prompted by a new beginning or fresh start. Sometimes those new beginnings are forced on us, but even in the middle of the year, we get to create them. What resolutions might you revisit (or create from scratch right now) to help maximize your life and career opportunities? Don’t overthink this, just craft resolutions that feel good.