New Year’s Resolutions: The Good, the Bad, and How You Can Make It Work.
It's a worldwide tradition to set goals at the beginning of new years. Whether it's eating healthier, being more productive, or having a new mindset; it varies from person to person. Setting a goal for yourself is exciting, but what matters is the process of accomplishing that goal. Do new year's resolutions work, or is it just a scam?
The Good
It's easy to set a goal for yourself and be eager to accomplish it. New Year's Resolutions get you hyped and excited for changes. Starting fresh in a new year is like leaving the past year behind and looking forward to the new one. It allows you to go into the new year in a positive direction. Resolutions start the year off on a high note, giving us a boost of motivation and joy.
The Bad, and How You Can Make It Not So Bad
As much as you're excited to fulfill that goal, your excitement to meet that goal doesn't last that long. Studies show that by February, 80% of people already failed their resolutions. Don't get me wrong, they're good as thought, but what does it take to achieve your goals?
To begin with, change can be made every time of the year. It truly doesn't have to be made at the beginning of every new year. On a positive note, the excitement of having a fresh start motivates you a tad bit.
But why are New Year's resolutions bad?
Well, it's not entirely bad; however, people often end up failing by the 2nd of January. There are countless reasons why your resolutions fail; the two main problems are:
1. Too Vague of a resolution
2. Having the wrong mindset
Too Vague
When your new year's resolutions are too vague, it's hard to know where to start. A common new year's resolution is getting good grades. Getting good grades is a goal, but it's not something that's right at your fingertips. It's better to start with small goals that will lead to getting good grades. Changes like this take time to be achieved; instead of having your new year's resolution as getting good grades, try things like:
putting a time limit on your devices
studying a week before an important test
setting a study time on the weekends
taking notes every class
being more involved in class discussions
These are some good changes that can be made to help you accomplish your big goal. As far as I know, getting good grades isn't something that can be achieved within seconds; it takes time and effort to get them.
Having The Wrong Mindset
After figuring out your desired resolution, you need to have a good mindset doing it. Pessimism leads to a lack of motivation, which results in a negative outcome. So when you're ready to start making changes, you need to believe in yourself despite the obstacles you face. The road to achieving your goals isn't easy; there will be things that will interfere with your journey. This is for you to decide - do you want to make your goal worth it or not?
Ultimately, it's for you to decide whether new year's resolutions are worth it or not. New Year's resolutions aren't as beautiful as society makes them seem; however, there's a chance you can make it work. Whether you think they're useful or not, we hope 2021 brings you never-ending joy and accomplishments. Have a good holiday!
- Halena C.