New Year, New Me?

As the new year rolls in, most of us are contemplating what the future may hold in 2020. It can be exciting to wonder about what opportunities may arise or to make important plans for the coming months. It can also be fun to set goals for ourselves – something that commonly takes the form of New Year’s resolutions. There is some stigma surrounding these resolutions due to the fact that it often proves difficult for us to stick with them as much as we would like, which seems to have resulted in a decrease in their popularity in the past few years, at least from my experience. However, I think New Year’s resolutions can actually be an enjoyable and helpful way to accomplish things if we tailor them to fit our lifestyles and what we sincerely hope to accomplish. 

I talked with a few students in the high school about New Year’s resolutions. I asked them if they had made any at the start of this year, and if so how they felt they were progressing with their goals. As I expected, not everyone had made resolutions. But, those who had told me about their aspirations and what compels them to keep working at their objectives. Meg Little, a junior, said that her resolution is to be more responsible, and she has found a really fun way to accomplish this goal: get a puppy. According to Meg, her new dachshund puppy Murphy helps her to be more responsible since she is in charge of taking care of him. Josie Hanegan, a senior, told me that her resolution is to stop procrastinating. She too feels that she is working toward her goal as she is keeping track of assignments and being sure to finish or at least work on them ahead of time. Zachary Honeycutt said his goal is to run every day, something that helps him de-stress from senior year. Another senior, Stella Cummings, is staying on top of her resolutions to read a book and travel a bit each month. She says she wanted to set goals for herself that would help make her happy and allow her to experience life more, which I think is a really great way to choose resolutions.

While New Year’s resolutions aren’t for everyone, those who have made them seem to be genuinely enjoying the feeling of accomplishment that comes from successfully working toward their objectives. Even if a goal is something minor, it can still be very beneficial to find ways to grow as a person. Whether it involves getting a new pet, seeing new places, or developing better work habits, there are ways for everyone to reach their aspirations. To be honest, I didn’t make a resolution at the beginning of this year. But, after talking about it with students who did and seeing how it helped them, I definitely plan on starting one. After all, it’s better late than never.