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It seems like 2011 went by in the blink of an eye.

A couple of days before New Year’s Eve, I suddenly remembered that I actually did make plans a year earlier, and had fulfilled none of them. I don’t want to go into too much detail about what they were ­— since I can’t brag about having turned them into reality.

Still, I didn’t feel especially bad about it, because for most people, New Year’s resolutions are mostly hopes, dreams and wishful thinking (find love, lose weight, get a 25 percent raise, buy a house).

I only know of one person who actually kept her resolution. Someone I worked with vowed to stop eating meat, and she did. Kudos to her. Other friends don’t even bother to come up with resolutions anymore.

So why do so many people fail to stick to their resolutions? In my opinion, it is because they are not really serious about them in the first place. And if they are really keen on making major life changes, be it at work or in their social or family lives, they don’t need to wait until the beginning of a new year.

Certainly, Dec. 31 seems like the perfect date to reflect on the past year, relive the happy moments, learn from our mistakes and make plans for the future. But so is any other day during the year.

If you want to quit smoking, do it today. You don’t have to wait until Jan. 1, because it won’t get any easier. If you think you should spend more time with your family and stop working such long hours, why wait? Your kids would love to spend more quality time with you right now, rather than having to wait for next year.

If you insist, however, on making resolutions for the upcoming year, maybe you should stick to realistic goals, like doing five sit-ups every Saturday, instead of running a marathon and finishing in the top 10.

But wait and see. If the world is going to end in 2012 (and some people think it is), there’s no point in making New Year’s resolutions anyway. At least not the usual ones, like “I will go to the gym every week” or “I will stop drinking alcohol.” So let me make a suggestion: Let’s have one hell of a party! Now, doesn’t that sound like the best New Year’s resolution ever?

Katrin Figge is deputy features editor at the Jakarta Globe.

It happens every year. Just as I’m trying to enjoy the New Year’s celebrations, people start annoying me with their silly and impractical resolutions.

Making resolutions at the beginning of the year can actually be a good thing. Unfortunately, it has become a meaningless ritual that people feel compelled to follow.

One of the New Year’s resolutions I often hear concerns losing weight and getting in shape. I’m sure you’ve heard the same one before, be it from your family or friends.

“Look man, I know I didn’t have a healthy lifestyle in 2011. But 2012 will definitely be different,” my best friend told me with a very serious look on his face. “You’re my witness. In 2012, I will go to the gym at least three times a week and get in shape.”

As a good friend, I knew I had to support his desire to better himself, so I told him that I would help him realize his goal. “You can do it, man,” I told him. But deep down, I was pretty sure he’d give it a try for a few months and then fall back into his old ways, drinking beer like it’s water and eating like a pig.

That’s a pretty reasonable prediction. My friend told me the same resolution as we were celebrating New Year’s a year ago. Instead of slimming down, my buddy grew even bigger.

Another resolution people find hard to fulfill is the vow to manage their money more responsibly. Unfortunately, I’m one of those people, and I’ve learned the hard way. I realize that managing money takes more than just a New Year’s resolution. For some, it requires the help of a professional financial planner.

So the next time you’re celebrating New Year’s Eve with friends, don’t expect to wake up a different person just because it’s a new year.

But regardless of how skeptical I am about New Year’s resolutions, we do need to motivate ourselves to improve certain aspects of our lives. Most people want to improve in some way, and nobody can motivate us better than ourselves.

So, I will start with myself. In 2012, one of my resolutions will be to manage my time better. “Time is the best investment in your life,” my mother keeps telling me.

Tasa Nugraza Barley is a features reporter at the Jakarta Globe.