The year is coming to an end today, and if we take a look at the trending words on people's lips, at least 'NEW YEAR RESOLUTION' is one of them. Every year, millions of people write down things, events, places etc, they want to come to fruition before the end of the year. Today I just want to look at the pros and cons of this.

ARGUMENT AGAINST
We all know that majority of people who make new year resolutions don't keep them. They keep on procastinating until another year goes by. Why, because the year is long, therefore they keep shifting until time has all but gone.
Also, most of these resolutions are vague and immeasurable. They don't even know the why or how of it leaving them even more confused and frustrated. For instance, I want to buy a car this year (which is not even a resolution by the way). Why? How? When exactly? Etc are other questions usually not answered by New year resolutions.
Another argument as seen by the above is that many don't even know what resolutions are. They just scribble anything that comes to their minds. I want to buy a house this year is not a resolution, its a want. I will start saving 25% of my income every month to buy a house in October is more like it.

ARGUMENT FOR
For all my earlier arguments above, resolutions have delivered a whole lot of benefits to a lot of people (even if they form the lesser percentage). So long as a thing is benign, even if only to 1%, then its worth it.
So many people's lives would have gone off track had it not been for the resolutions (written or mental) they had at the beginning of the year.
It also gives a sense of responsibility to a person. You know you are in charge and have a mental picture of where you see yourself at the end of the year, and then you go for it. Period.

CONCLUSION
Although I am neither for nor against New Year Resolutions. I believe the best method (I stand to be corrected) is to make your long term plans and divide the year into shorter periods so as to make the holistic easier. Just saying, in a bid to achieve the whole, you have to take it part by part.
For example (and this has worked for me), I could write in my year resolutions, 'I want to read 12 books this year'. That's 1 book a month.
At the beginning of January I write, I want to read 'how to make friends and influence people' by Dale Canergie.
And probably everyday I divide the book into chapters to read.
This may sound cumbersome but in reality it isn't. It will not take you more than a few minutes a day and will make your planning easier. This way, you'll be surprised that you'll even exhaust your resolutions before the year runs out. I hope it works for you.
My two cents.
Please leave your opinions, criticism, commendations in the comment section.
Thanks.