“New year, new me.” My friends say this every single year.
They each come up with a list of resolutions to help them become a “new person.”
Yet by the end of each year, they have done nothing they said they would do. They tell me that with school, extracurricular activities, hanging out with friends and chores, they barely have any time.
Oftentimes, many high schoolers constantly have homework or tests to study for. Not to mention, they are usually committed to extracurricular activities, making accomplishing these goals much more challenging.
Depending on how you use your free time can bring yourself one step closer to your goals. Scrolling mindlessly on TikTok or watching a movie can leave you feeling unmotivated and unproductive.
“I am very good with time management,” sophomore Anna Hartley said. “I try to utilize my free time during class and set some time aside to focus on my resolutions. With even just a little bit of free time, I am one step closer to my resolutions.”
You do not need to spend every minute of your free time striving towards your goals. Rather, setting aside a good 10-15 minutes each day working to achieve them does more than you think.
Something else to keep in mind is your steps you are taking, or plan to take, toward your goals, as this helps you stay focused and on track.
“My number one motivation to help me power through all the challenges and obstacles while trying to achieve my resolutions is to think about why I am here and my struggles to reach this point of my goal, ” junior Hashini Raja said.
However, considering the amount of work and number of events for students, these goals can often slip away from student’s minds.
“I use a planner to help me be organized and remind myself of my goals,” Raja said. “It’s really helped me be one step closer towards goals.”
Using a planner or just writing your goals down on a piece of paper or sticky note can serve as a helpful reminder.
Furthermore, placing these reminders in a place you constantly look at, like for instance on your desk or kitchen top, can help you without realizing it.
As you walk into these places, these written notes may catch your eye and jog your memory of your resolutions.
Your mindset is also an important factor towards attaining your resolutions.
A determined mindset allows you to persevere through any unexpected situations that may cause you to struggle when working towards your goals.
“Whenever you feel distracted or something comes up that keeps you from your goals, I think you have to be intentional about saying ‘I’m not going to do this, but I’m going to do what I need to do,’” counselor Ann Cinelli said.
Therefore, it is important to keep a determined mindset to help you stay on track with your goals despite challenges.
Achieving your goals requires consistency and determination, but the most important thing to keep in mind is the reward that comes out of it. The feeling of self-improvement. The feeling of pride in your hard work. The feeling of accomplishment.
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