A sign wishing for “Peace on Earth” welcomes the New Year in front of German Street Coffee & Candlery on Sunday night. Tabitha Johnston

For some like Hali Taylor, the concept of making New Year’s Resolutions has never been the most practical.

“I don’t bother with them, because I don’t do them!” Taylor said, with a chuckle. “Why set yourself up for failure?”

Others, like Mark Muse, indicated that adopting a change only with the beginning of the New Year felt like too irrational of a concept to bother with.

“My New Year’s Resolution is to survive another year! I don’t usually make resolutions,” Muse said. “I think we should try to be better people all of the time — what’s special about the first of the year? It’s just not something I subscribe to.”

A sign wishing for “peace” in different languages, with the coming of the New Year, stands at the front of Evolve on Sunday night. Tabitha Johnston

But for some, making a New Year’s Resolution seemed to give them the initiative to make a change that has been long overdue.

“I’m taking my resolution from something I heard someone else say today — to be kind to themselves. I thought it was pretty good!” said Pat DiDonato. “I always think, we try to be kind to be other people, but we’re not always kind to ourselves. We always listen to that inner critic. I’m going to try not to do that anymore! We’re always harshest — or, at least, I am — on ourselves.

“We should always be aspiring to be better,” DiDonato said. “It should be the goal, whether we think we need it or not — at least making New Year’s Resolutions ensures that we are trying.”

While in the past, DiDonato has not always been able to stick with her New Year’s Resolution for a full year, she said she is hopeful that will not be the case with this, more philosophical, one.

“I think it’s hard to stick to certain things,” DiDonato said, noting physical health-related resolutions can be particularly challenging to follow. “We say we’re going to exercise more or we’re going to walk more, but those are hard to consistently do. I’m hopeful that this kind of resolution will be easier to stick with!”

John Meeker agreed with DiDonato, on the need to make achievable resolutions.

“I don’t think I’m going to make it for the Boston Marathon this year, but you know, maybe someday in the future?” Meeker said. “Instead of saying, ‘I’m sorry for dominating the conversation,’ I want to start saying, ‘thank you for paying attention,’ or something like that. Trying to turn every ‘I’m sorry’ into a ‘thank you’ is my New Year’s Resolution.”

For Jan Hafer, her New Year’s Resolution was one she has made in previous years, which she hopes to be more successful with in 2024.

“I just want to continue to be grateful for all the good things that are happening, in the midst of all the world problems. I want to concentrate on always finding something to be grateful about, and make more of an effort for that,” Hafer said. “It’s so upsetting to see all the chaos in the world and division in our country, but there’s still good things that are happening. I want to concentrate on that!

According to Hafer, working on having a positive mindset like this has noticeably helped her overall health.

“It keeps me going and helps me to continue doing what I need to do,” Hafer said. “Grateful thoughts are the key to a happy life.”