CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) - New Year's resolutions are made often, but research suggests that few hold them through the winter. We're all guilty of setting high expectations for the new year, but there are a couple of ways to keep those goals through the entire year. New Year's resolutions are a great way to set goals for another year around the sun, but many times we fall short. This can attributed to poor planning and setting too big of expectations in a short period of time. Sean Lavoine from Greenfield told me why he stopped making resolutions. "Sure a lot of people say I'm gonna give up sweets, so I'm gonna give up bread or I'm gonna start a new diet," says Lavoine. "A lot of people can last five days maybe 10 days but it's hard to make it last for a long time." The second Friday of every January is known as quitters day and while most people may make it past the second Friday if you make it by the second week of February, you're likely to keep it through the whole year. A great way to keep goals from slipping is to map out a concrete plan with multiple steps that you can check off along the way. Owen Fernandez from West Hartford described how he plans to read and sleep more in 2025, "I definitely feel like I am confident 1 I do have a lot more time in my hands even though I am working I'm in a little bit better reschedule… so I think that'll definitely help out for the sleep so I think if I just cut out 30 to 40 minutes a day to read I should be able to get that done." If you can keep to a plan and allow for some bumps in the road, you'll be much more likely to achieve your goals. Most resolutions involve a healthy diet and exercise according to the Pew Research Center. Local News Headlines Tips to stick with your New Year’s resolution State House Spotlight: The 193rd General Court in review End of year tips to maximize your 2024 tax return 122 bills on the Governor’s desk WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.