On the Spot: Following through with New Year’s resolutions
January 9, 2018
“New year new me.”
This phrase has become a mantra for many at Coppell High School as they begin 2018 by attempting to break their bad habits. However, for others, the start of a new year is not a symbol of renewal but of broken resolutions.
Here, students share their opinions on New Year’s resolutions with Coppell Student Media as well as whether or not they intend to follow through with one.
Isha Kondapalli, senior
“It just depends on the commitment you have towards [your resolution]. You can say that you’re not going to eat sugar, you’re going to exercise every day but it depends on if you truly mean it to yourself and if you’re going to commit the time to it.”
Ashley Love, junior
“I’m trying to do this but I’m not actually sure if it will work. I’m trying not to speak unless it’s needed because I talk too much and I say things that aren’t necessary. If I catch myself saying something that isn’t necessary, I’m trying to stop saying that. I don’t think [New Year’s resolutions] are very effective because most people stop doing them after like a month.”
Grace Skinner, sophomore
“[New Year’s resolutions] can be helpful to motivate you but I don’t think they really benefit you that much. [People end up not following through with them] because it’s easy to falter and so if you don’t have anyone to help you then you won’t really succeed in it.”
Jeff Ye, senior
“One of my [New Year’s resolutions] is to read 25 pages of a book every day because I realized that I spend too much time on my phone and it’s become addictive. So every night before I go to sleep, I put my phone on a different table, away from my bed and I just get a book and I read that before I go to sleep. From now on, I’m going to keep charging my phone on a different table in my room, away from my bed and I’m always going to keep a book next to my nightstand.”
Brooke Lowrance, sophomore
“I never follow through so I don’t want to let myself down. People always set unreal expectations like ‘I’m going to eat healthy every meal every day’ but that never happens so they just get disappointed. Last year, I was ‘I’m going to eat healthier’ and then I got Whataburger the next day. I would say, choose a simple solution, like small things you can change, not drastic lifestyle changes.”
Lauren Harris • Jan 9, 2018 at 1:59 pm
This made me sad when I read everyone getting discouraged about even setting goals for themselves. I think the point of resolutions is not to aim low so that’s attainable but to aim higher and push yourself to be a better person. It’s about focusing on what you didn’t like about yourself the previous year and working to make yourself new and improved. Its sort of like reviewing for a test and making corrections, although it can seem overwhelming at times. My advice for the people who don’t want to commit to one goal for the whole year is to take it month by month. Challenge yourself every month to do something to be a better person because habits are formed in just 21 days. After challenging myself every month last year, I was surprised how many I kept up with after the month ended. In short, don’t let the 365 days ahead of you scare you, because you don’t know what your life will look like by then. Instead take the year day by day, week by week, or month by month and make positive changes where you can.