When considering the jumps in gym memberships and fitness classes come Jan. 2, the new year presents an opportunity unlike any other. Although I think it is great that people find promise in the coming of a new year, I also think it is important to kindle that spirit throughout the other 364 days.

As an occasional New Year’s resolution setter and constant goal setter, I have found that throughout the year, it easy to lose sight of particular resolutions and goals. Once set, there are many pitfalls to achieving our goals.

The first, setting a goal without a plan of action, proves to be a particularly strong deterrent, as a goal without a plan for achievement often becomes overwhelming and thus seemingly impossible. Set a goal and decide on how you are going to meet that goal.

For example, I have set a goal of finding a more fulfilling form of relaxation beyond the usual tossing in of a movie or mindless Facebooking. Although I’m not a seasoned yogi, I find yoga to be a far different experience from my usual dry land and swimming activities while still being applicable to both.

My goal is to participate in a yoga class or spend some time practicing yoga on my own at least two times a week through my practice activities or through the athletic club where I work. Although finding a way to achieve my goal does not ensure that I will follow through with my plan, it does make it easier to envision myself achieving my goal.

As the year progresses, it is easy to forget about the goals you set and why you set them in the first place. Writing them down in a place where you look frequently or a place that is easy to reference has proved useful for me. Those days where you don’t want to get out of bed early to run are much easier to weather if you can remind yourself of your goal.

The ability to remind myself of the deeper reasoning behind a goal’s importance seems to push me through those hard days and remind me of the person I want to be and the growth I would like to experience.

The best gatekeeper of goal achievement and continued progression for me has been the constant setting and evaluation of goals. Setting goals only once a year provides less of an incentive to grow and continue to push yourself throughout all twelve months. It is easier to put goals on the sidelines when they were set months ago.

Setting small goals, or even consciously acknowledging the things I want to complete that day, helps me to stay focused. Setting goals more often than just once a year allows us to accommodate for changes in lifestyles or wants in life while allowing us to remain focused and driven throughout the 52 weeks of the year.

There are days where we all need to cheat or perhaps just take a break from the pressures of being a better person or being more of something that we currently are not. Those days are important too because they provide a much-needed breather from the constant agenda setting.

I have set some goals for the coming year, and I plan to follow through with them, but New Year’s wasn’t the only day that I chose to get better. Improvement in various areas of life should be a goal for all the days of your life, and reminding ourselves of goals in addition to evaluating and analyzing our priorities and values in life provide us with continued progress, happiness and fulfillment each and every day.

Victoria Merritt is a State News guest columnist and political theory and constitutional democracy senior. Reach her at merrittv@msu.edu.