The new year is here, and so are its many resolutions. Every year, many make new year’s resolutions in order to improve areas of their lives that they feel weren’t up to par in the previous year.

“My resolutions for the new year are to start working out and start eating healthier along with starting to journal more,” junior Riley Jorgenson said.

While fitness resolutions make up about 38% of new year’s resolutions, breaking old habits is also a very common resolution.

“My resolutions for this year are to stop procrastinating my school work,” junior Sofia Ponce said. “I also want  to work as hard as possible in soccer.”

Although some focus on school related resolutions, others focus on their mental health and productivity in everyday life.

“My resolution this year is to find new music to listen to, and to stay off my phone as often as possible because I have been very caught in a bubble rather than going out and experiencing things,” junior Tabitha Baggett said.

Even though many make resolutions, statistically fewer than 10% of people keep their resolutions.

“I normally end up giving up my resolutions after a few weeks, but this year I’m going to try as hard as possible,” Ponce said.

While statistics suggest it is rare that people keep their resolutions, that does not make it impossible.

“I kept my resolution as long as I could before the pandemic started, so I tend to be responsible and keep my resolutions,” Jorgenson said.

Prioritizing which resolutions are most important to you can potentially help you keep them.

“I find working out the most important thing because you can eat as unhealthy as you want but if you don’t workout it will make you an unhealthy person,” Jorgenson said. “I want to stay as healthy as possible, so working out will help me with that.”

Having these priorities will help one decide what activities to direct their focus to.

“I think staying off my phone as often as possible is the most important resolution I have because when I am on my phone it prevents me from being productive,” Baggett said. “If I am off my phone, I can do an intellectually stimulating activity.”

When looking at how people make and maintain these resolutions, it is also important to look at why. Why do people want to change their lives every year?

“If someone wants to make changes in their life, starting fresh in the new year sounds like the easiest solution,” Jorgenson said. “What’s most important is making sure you hold yourself accountable to complete these resolutions.”

Sources.

https://cooperaerobics.com/Health-Tips/Fitness-Files/From-Resolution-to-Lifestyle.aspx#:~:text=A%20large%20percentage%20

https://www.westernconnecticuthealthnetwork.org/newsroom/article-listing/new-years-resolutions