Many people make excuses about why they can’t complete their New Year’s resolutions, but the simple truth is this: they set the bar too high. If you’ve lived a sedentary lifestyle for years, then you’re not going to be ready to run a marathon in a month. Things like this just don’t happen. Nevertheless, people expect quick fixes, and when they don’t get them, they decide it’s just not worth it.

The problem can be seen on a grander scale, too. I can’t tell you how many times I hear some economist say that the economy will be “fixed” by year X or an expert predict peace in the Middle East within Y months; yet wouldn’t it be more practical to think about taking small steps rather than giant leaps? How about we try to stop the market from getting worse instead of trying to return to a golden age? Why not attempt to negotiate a cessation of the current hostilities before we talk about resolving a centuries-old conflict?

Of course I’m not suggesting that wishful thinking is a bad thing, merely that it needs to be complemented with a sense of reality. As far back as I can remember, I’ve absolutely despised green vegetables (I don’t exactly know why, but I just can’t stomach them). Sure, doctors recommend five servings a day, but I can’t just dive into a salad and expect to eat the whole thing. I’ve got to start small, maybe a few pieces of lettuce, and work my way up over time. This may sound stupid (and yes, I am pretty embarrassed about it), but the idea can be applied to virtually any issue, big or small.

Last but not least, remember that you’ve still got a good 50 weeks to make those New Year’s resolutions happen. If you’ve gotten lazy already, then consider this your wake-up call. It’s not too late for all those people to start frequenting the Concourse Athletic Club again, and hopefully I’ll see a bunch of them when I go back there this summer. And who knows? Maybe when they see me, I’ll even have a piece of lettuce stuck between my teeth.