Along with the opportunities of beginning a new year, crossing the threshold of the past year into the new one brings about “change” for many. One thing that stays consistent, however, is hearing the phrase “new year, new me” ad nauseam. 

Many people want to improve themselves at the emergence of a new year. Everyone loves the chance of a fresh start, but changing ones’ self into a better version of what they were before is not always as easy as claimed. New Year’s Resolutions are traditions numerous people participate in, but does anyone ever follow through with them?

“No one follows through with their resolutions, because they don’t have surrounding people to help them. I would need other people to help me out with the resolutions,” confessed Junior David Rudek. 

“Resolutions are final and bound to fail, so I set myself goals instead,” Forensics and Biology teacher April Slatton stated. 

“I think resolutions are kind of stupid, because it’s a one time thing people do during New Years and maybe the first month, then you go back to how things used to be,” reflected Senior Valeria Mazariegos. 

There is always hope for those who create resolutions and follow through. They can be created into daily habits or just slowly incorporated into the lives of those who want a change in lifestyle.

“If people follow through with their resolutions, it depends on how serious they are, but it doesn’t have to be at a new year. If you come up with an idea, and actually do it, that is good,” Algebra and Pre-Calculus teacher, Peggy Moyer observed.

“Only a few people actually stay with their resolution. We forget about it and tell ourselves we will start the next day, but we don’t. Humans are creatures of habit and we do the same thing everyday. After all, we are just a bunch of lazy high school students,” Junior Grant Scutt critiqued.

Even though plenty of individuals do not follow through with their resolutions, they are still positive influences in peoples’ lives that help them improve their lifestyle. The improvement may be temporary, but it gives people something positive to work on. 

“I think resolutions are a good thing to participate in because it helps with self-improvement,” explained Junior Danae Wnuk.

“I love the idea of resolutions, because I need and want to improve myself,” Junior Javier Villanueva expressed.

Along with the many people who set goals for themselves, the staff and students at Central High School have also planned methods to improve. Each person may not have a resolution, but they do have at least one thing they would like to work on throughout the year, whether it be mental or physical.

“Mine is to learn Spanish,” Wnuk added.

“I want to get straight A’s,” Sophomore Ariya McGhee informed.

One resolution many people agree with is to save up money to buy things on their own.

“My resolution is saving up money to buy a car,” Rudek declared.

“I want to make money this year,” Senior Lacy McKinney expressed.

Another goal you hear every year is the mission of losing weight or living a healthier lifestyle. This resolution never fails to be mentioned and Central students and staff could not miss out.

“I want to eat more healthy, not to lose weight. I don’t really care about my weight. I just want to be healthy,” Junior Elena Salgado commented.

“I write down everything I eat, so I can drop a couple of pounds. I also make sure I eat a salad every day,” Moyer verbalized.

“It would be nice to lose twenty pounds,” Slatton noted.

The whole point of a resolution is to make a positive change on one’s life. That is why students, as well as teachers, have decided to improve on themselves by changing their mentality to have a more positive outlook on life.

“I’m going to set new goals for myself and achieve them,” Sophomore Dimas Azoca announced.

“My New Year’s Resolution is to stop second-guessing myself, like if I really wanted to do something, I want to go for it,” Sophomore Taylor Hearrell emphasized.

“I plan to bond with my dad,” Senior Eric Carson added.

“I am going to break out of my shell and become a more confident version of myself,” Junior Alissa Pence proclaimed.

“My resolution is to be positive and always remember to smile,” Senior Matthew Fraizer commented.

“My resolution is to make history,” U.S. History teacher, Shaun Seals, appropriately vocalized.

As long as the time continues, people will always set goals for themselves. Even if no one follows through completely, they could always improve little by little, even if it means putting it off until next year.

Let’s be honest here guys, New Year’s resolutions are kind of a joke. We often tell ourselves we are going to lose weight or learn to play the violin. One year, I decided to learn how to do a handstand. Understandably, I still do not know how to do a handstand. Unfortunately, most people drop their resolutions less than a month into the new year, just as I have done. In this week’s column, I decided to talk about some practical resolutions and how to stay committed to them.

The first resolution that often is quickly ditched is the basic weight loss resolution. The first week is easy; the resilience, new equipment, and attitude are all there. However, as the year gets busier many find themselves getting caught up in school or work and slowly lose focus on their goal. To combat this, I suggest making a more specific resolution. Possibly commit to drinking more water or choosing to eat a healthier breakfast. The smaller the goal, the easier it is to attack it in a healthy and productive way.

Another resolution that is often mistakenly made is the commitment to becoming smarter or becoming successful. Although these are wonderful goals to have, they are difficult and too broad. Typically the more difficult the goal the faster frustration sets in and the goal is then given up. I suggest starting with something such as committing to reading one book a month and maybe find a part-time job or volunteer work. Reading increases knowledge and a job leads to social skills and being able to connect well with others.

The last resolution that many fail at quickly is the promise to be a better person. This is not to say people fail at being nice, but often times people fail at helping themselves before learning to help others. Although it is wonderful to help others, often times it is important when one is content and happy with themselves first. I suggest starting the year off with buying a journal or researching self-care. Beauty products and plants are a great way to begin.  It also may be helpful to develop a routine specifically altered to a special schedule. Routines often make people more organized and create a feeling of security.

This year, I made a few interesting resolutions which I decided to leave as my Two Truths and One lie. Good Luck!

1. I want to stay off my social media more.
2. I want to start listening to podcasts.
3. I want to write more and learn a new craft.