Every January, everyone starts talking about their New Year’s resolutions. Maybe some people say they´re going to work out every day, or finally keep their grades up. But honestly, by February, most of us have totally forgotten what our goals even were. So I started to wonder, what makes New Year’s resolutions so hard to keep? I decided to ask around and find out what actually works for other students.
Caroline Spires, a senior, says the trick is not setting yourself up for disappointment. “First, choose something you think is going to better yourself, but don’t choose something completely unrealistic,” she told me. “Choose a goal you think you can maintain for the rest of the year.” Basically, don’t promise yourself you’ll suddenly become a completely different person overnight. It’s way easier to stick to a goal if it actually fits your life.
Ashley Diaz, another senior, tried to change her whole style last year. “I couldn’t find the clothes anywhere. Or I just didn’t know how to style them,” she said. “I learned that if you switch too quickly, you might not be able to fulfill it.” I think we all struggle with wanting some things that might be unrealistic to achieve. Ashley’s advice for this was to start small and not to try and do everything at once.
Asair Woldemichael, also in 12th grade, thinks about resolutions as both short-term and long-term things. “Long term, short term. Something you are guaranteed to achieve or something not guaranteed to achieve,” he said. To me, his point was that the important part is actually making a move, even if it’s just a tiny one.
I asked Asair, ¨how do you keep going when you’re tired or just not feeling it anymore?¨ Asair says, “Stay consistent even when you have no motivation.” Caroline said almost the same thing: “Just practice discipline and don’t give up just because you feel like it.” Some days it’s hard, but that’s normal.
I asked for some motivating words that might help you stick with your New Year’s resolutions. “Start small, and go up from there. Stay consistent,” Asair said. Caroline said, “Never give up on a goal that will help you be a better person.”
As the new year approaches, try making a resolution you can actually stick with. Pick something real for your life, track your progress, and don’t give up just because it gets tough. If you try, you might fail, but if you don’t try, you’ll never succeed. The most important part is believing in yourself enough to keep going. I think that’s a resolution worth making.
