The False Hope Syndrome and New Year Resolutions:  

As we approach the new year, we tend to feel optimistic and enthusiastic about what it might bring. We see it as a chance to start over and improve ourselves. This motivates us to create vision boards, break bad habits, and set New Year's resolutions. However, we often fail to follow through on these goals and achieve them. 

Year after year we set goals for ourselves and most of the time, we can't accomplish them. Yet we continue to form new resolutions every year. This happens because of the False Hope Syndrome(FHS). The FHS model suggests that an individual who has "false hope" sets unrealistic goals for themselves. They often start trying to work towards achieving the goal with high expectations and can make some progress initially. Later as they are faced with challenges and obstacles they become de-motivated to achieve the goals. They realize that their goal is unattainable and they give up. Sometimes, people may incorrectly interpret the cause of their failure. This happens because they experience initial success and become very optimistic, only to later feel disappointed when they fail. This can lead to a destructive cycle where they keep trying to achieve these goals again. 

There are things we can do to fix this endless cycle. We need to start looking at our goals differently and be more realistic while planning them. Instead of setting unrealistic goals, try breaking them down into smaller, achievable parts and figure out why you want to achieve them without overwhelming yourself. For instance, if your goal is to improve your grades, break it down into smaller steps like completing your homework on time, being more attentive in class, etc., and work on each of these every month. This way you will have a proper and more realistic plan for achieving your goals.