The Value of New Year's Resolutions by Grace Roeder

Every year billions of people partake in New Year’s celebrations on January first. Celebrations include parades, dinners, parties, and, most importantly, New Year’s resolutions. Resolutions for the new year force you to recognize what you can do better yourself throughout this coming year and to be the best version of you - or so many people think.

According to Business Insider, 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February. As if it couldn’t get even worse, these empty promises are almost all completely generic. 53% of people making resolutions in the United States aim to save money, while 45% would like to lose weight or get into better shape. Enjolie Yang, a Junior at Technical High School, agrees. Her resolution is to “workout more because I enjoy it.” These statistics mean that about 97% of resolutions are, essentially, things that anyone could do to better themselves.

The 3% of New Year’s resolutions that are unique, however, can be very insightful. For example, Emma Marx’s resolution is to “find a boyfriend.” Extremely discerning, if you ask me. Another student, Tyler Anderson, would like to “coach a team” in the upcoming year.

Keeping your New Year’s resolution, as statistics show, is not always easy. Psychologists advise to keep your goals simple and realistic. Allow your most important resolutions to have your complete focus, and don’t overwhelm yourself.

Make sure you know how you are going to reach your goal. For example, instead of have the resolution of wanting to get good grades, create a measurable objective of getting all assignments in on time.

While keeping New Year’s resolutions can be a long and often difficult process, in the long run it is worth it - usually.