“NEW YEAR, new me!” Many people want to start their year fresh with a new attitude, and resolutions are made to achieve the desired change. However, not everyone goes through with what they have planned.
“Only 9% of Americans that make resolutions complete them,” and “23% of people quit their resolutions by the end of the first week, and 43% quit by the end of January, as stated on the fisher.osu.edu website.
There are a variety of reasons why people fail to commit to their resolutions, but the main reasons can usually be identified as lacking accountability and facing unexpected dilemmas. Oftentimes, people fail to write down their resolutions or tell people about them, which is why most people forget or lose the motivation to do them.
In addition, resolutions shouldn’t have to be every ‘new year’ just because it is a fresh start on a calendar. They can be made whenever.
Most people don’t follow through with their resolutions because of things that come up unexpectedly in their lives. “Teenagers specifically have a lot going on which makes it difficult to achieve resolutions,” Amired Vargas (11) said.
In high school, there is a lot of stress. Everyone has something different going on. It can range from personal problems to other things like the ACT or applying to colleges. This could be why some people can’t stick with what was planned.
“Don’t put things off and be strict with yourself.” Staying disciplined even through hardships is vital. However, not many people can pull through and make successful situations from hardships,” Vargas said.
Most resolutions revolve around change. “I would resolve to act more disciplined because I’ve noticed my lack of self-awareness,” Eddy Lopez Ortega (10) said. Discipline plays a big role in maintaining a resolution. Although it can be difficult to accomplish personal goals, discipline drives a person to keep going. “If I don’t work for my well-being, then do I even care about myself?” Ortega said. This says a lot—it comes down to the individual to show themselves some self-love.
The website fisher.osu.edu also states that if a resolution is done as a yearly tradition rather than a personal goal, a person is less likely to commit to it. This adds to why some people lose motivation to continue their resolution.
Academic success is another popular source of inspiration for resolutions. Alberto Alcazar (11) plans on getting better grades and earning his driver’s license.
“My grades right now are kinda bad, and I wanna be able to graduate. I also wanna drive, so that I don’t have to ask people for rides to places,” Alcazar said. Resolutions like these are usually for the future’s sake, but they can sometimes be difficult to commit to. All resolutions can be difficult.
So quit wasting time waiting for the perfect moment to come around to start resolutions and accomplish what is currently possible. Waiting around for the perfect time is like waiting for rain to fall in a desert.
