To ring in the new year, many students explore resolutions to encourage a successful year, inside and outside of school.
While most New Year’s resolutions focus around forming better habits around health, some can also include spending less time on electronics, boosting GPAs or focusing on anything that needs improvement.
UI sophomore Hannah Tak said her New Year’s resolution is to perform a cartwheel. She said her resolutions focus on ways to fulfill a goal and she sticks to them until complete. Tak said doing a cartwheel is something she has always wanted to do.
Freshman Ellie Thyssen said she makes New Year’s resolutions because she enjoys having something to uphold. It makes a fun challenge to do when not studying, Thyssen said.
“I make resolutions to better myself and the world around me,” she said. “Sometimes it’s to culture myself and other times it’s just to see if I can make a difference in the world around me.”
Thyssen said she sticks to her resolutions for a few months until they evolve into habits.
Junior Amber Keele said her New Year’s resolution is to read a new book each month and to save up for a trip to New Zealand. Keele said she makes resolutions because she enjoys the fresh-start feeling that comes with the new year.
Most of Keele’s resolutions are about bettering herself. Keele said she tries to keep track of her resolutions, but usually loses track around May.
According to a study done at the University of Scranton, less than 10 percent of New Year’s resolutions are ever achieved.
With such low rates of achievement, one might wonder how to ensure their New Year’s resolutions are met.
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), to follow through with a new year resolution, one should remember to start small, change one behavior at a time, talk about it and ask for support.
Starting with a small goal means to start with a goal one thinks they can keep. The APA encourages changing only one behavior at a time.
The APA recommends talking about goals and progress to another person because it makes them easier and less intimidating, however minor missteps are a normal part of the process.
Kali Nelson can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @kalinelson6