New Year, New Me
Huge numbers of people try to turn over a new leaf with New Year’s Resolutions. So why don’t they usually work?
February 2, 2023
Now that the holiday vacation is through, people are sprinting back to their hyper-productive New Year fantasies, where all their resolutions come true. According to Google, the top 5 New Year’s Resolutions are exercising more, eating healthy, losing weight, saving money, and spending more time with friends and family.
At first glance, these goals may seem admirable. Getting fit, and staying fit, are healthy goals that everyone can strive to achieve. Some people believe that starting 2023 with an optimistic master plan may be a good thing, but for others, the entire idea of “bettering yourself” and “making 2023 your year” is not what it seems.
On the one hand, setting goals for yourself is a great way to stay focused, and the new year is a great place to start. Many people think of the new year as a fresh slate; a time when they can forget about last year, and start being the person they want to be. Freshman Mackenzie Winning says, “I think resolutions give people an opportunity to start new.”
New year’s resolutions are about resetting yourself, and many people believe they can be useful, so why do over 90% of new year’s resolutions fail?
Many believe that New Year’s Resolutions are a monumental scam. According to InsideOut Master, only around 10% of people successfully keep up with their resolutions. Senior Rachael Johns says, “I think that people make them (resolutions) with high expectations, but it’s a lot easier to say you’re going to do something than actually doing it.”
The reason for lost hopes and dreams stems from the resolutions themselves. The majority of people that set these goals need something to keep them motivated. Eating healthy, losing weight, and saving more money are challenging objectives to achieve, especially when you’re just starting. Sophomore Annika Good says, “The way the goals are set up is overwhelming. It makes you believe that you can accomplish anything without the work.”
People have been setting New Year’s Resolutions for thousands of years, first beginning in Ancient Babylonian times. People expect to set them, have them work out, and then be the person they’ve always wanted to be by the end of the year. But a lot of work goes into being the best version of yourself.
New Year’s Resolutions are often set simply because people like the ideas they represent; most people who set these goals aren’t genuinely committed to the process, just the outcome. Good mentions, “Failed resolutions ruin all your hopes and dreams. It’s really depressing when you can’t achieve something, but it happens a lot.”
In general, New Year’s Resolutions are often destined to fail, but sophomore Emily Quinlan is set on success. “I really want to get into this musical theater camp. I’ve been working with experienced teachers and rehearsing my songs around once a day,” she says.
Quinlan’s goals are challenging but achievable, and she has real means to be successful. Quinlan’s thoughts on reaching goals are, “Make your goals specific. That way you always know what you’re working towards, you know?” New Year’s Resolutions are a risk, but with patience and persistence, the reward will be worth it.
