Opinion: New year, new resolutions
According to an article by Dan Davies for Medium, “Usually about 75 percent of all gym memberships are taken out in the month of January.” This is because of the intense amount of New Year’s resolutions in the first month and a half of a new year.
It’s almost impossible for most people to keep their New Year’s resolutions for longer than a few weeks, much less a majority of the year. In an article by Brad Zomick on GoSkills, he writes that studies prove only 46% of people are successful in keeping their New Year’s resolutions.
Some of the most popular resolutions include working out, losing weight, getting in shape, living in the moment, trying a new hobby, spending time with friends and family, traveling, breaking addiction and forming healthy habits.
The Utah State University website itself provides a series of resolutions you can follow for every month of the year, including trying to save money on the heating bill in February, switching to more alternative light sources in May, preparing a thrifty wardrobe in August and trying out alternative transportation in September.
If some helpful resolutions seem overwhelming, an article written by Leah Hall for CountryLiving includes some resolutions that we can actually keep. Drinking more water, journaling once a day, sending birthday cards and staying in touch with loved ones. You can also start something new; a hobby, book or a book series, TV show, and/or meeting new people to connect with.
Setting simpler, smaller goals is the best step to keeping resolutions, and rewarding yourself for little accomplishments is the best way to ensure you’ll keep on track towards your goal.
My New Year’s resolution was to fix my sleep schedule — as opposed to staying up late and sleeping in. It will help me to push myself, focus on school and stay healthy. I have scheduled earlier classes for the spring semester and plan on packing my schedule with activities that will tire me out and keep me busy, so going to sleep won’t be so difficult.
Making resolutions is important for many people. This is the time of year where we try to change; the fact that we aspire to be better makes a tremendous impact on our self-esteem, social connections and worldview.
Becoming who you want to become starts with setting resolutions and goals by reflecting on what is important to you. Every effort counts. When we try to change and open ourselves up to new experiences, we become stronger people.
Megan Cowdell is a freshman opinion columnist studying for a bachelor’s in Communications. She loves music, reading and wants to write books for a living.
megan.cowdell@usu.edu