New Year’s resolutions are made with the full intention of being kept. Yet, as midterms pile up and motivation dwindles, goals become buried alongside the cars on Boston’s snowy roads.

Luckily, spring break offers the perfect reset to get back on track. Here’s some advice for maintaining your resolutions—and your sanity—as warmer months approach.

Set realistic expectations.

New Year’s resolutions often come with unrealistic expectations. I thought I was going to hit the gym seven times a week, but my motivation proved short-lived. 

When you can’t meet the expectations you set for yourself, it becomes harder to meet any others. Instead of giving up entirely, I recommend reevaluating and readjusting your resolutions. Goals should make you feel accomplished, not overwhelmed. 

By setting practical expectations, you’re more likely to stay motivated and stick with them. 

Take things one step at a time.

It’s easy to become overwhelmed by a growing list of unresolved resolutions. 

To tackle what seems like an insurmountable mountain of to-dos, I recommend taking things one step at a time. Break larger goals into smaller steps. This makes it easier to follow through and, in the end, you’re rewarded with less stress (and more guilt-free rotting with your roommates).

Fight the FOMO.

FOMO sucks, but finding a balance between fun and focus is possible. My advice is to make plans ahead of time to ensure your academic schedule aligns with your social calendar. 

When you intentionally schedule both work and fun, it stops feeling like you’re constantly sacrificing one for the other—and you find balance in place of deprivation.

It’s also important to remember that missing one event does not mean missing everything. The group chat will survive. The story will be retold. And you’ll enjoy it more when you’re not stressed out about what’s due at 11:59 p.m.

Build habits, not hype.

One of the biggest reasons New Year’s resolutions fade is because they’re built on hype. 

Jan. 1 energy is elite. We romanticize our future selves. We imagine waking up at 6 a.m. to journal and drink green juice before a busy day of getting to class early and hitting the gym.

Instead of chasing a dramatic transformation, focus on small, repeatable actions. Go to the gym three times a week instead of seven. Study for 45 focused minutes instead of promising yourself a three-hour marathon you’ll never start. 

When goals feel doable, you’re more likely to repeat them. And repetition is what actually creates change.