The concept of bettering yourself to honor a new year has been around for thousands of years, originally dating back to Ancient Babylonia. However, out of the 45% of Americans who claim that they have made new year’s resolutions, only about 8% successfully follow through with their goals and the other 92% fail within just a few months. 

A new year’s resolution typically is a goal or plan to better yourself. For example, many people have the personal goal of going to the gym, eating healthier, or reading once a day. 

Seniors Jalyssa Barnard and Chloe Chouinard concurred that their new years resolutions often-times fall through as well.

“I had the goal to go to the gym more, but honestly it’s hard to stay motivated to do that,” Chouinard (12) said.

Psychologists believe that one reason people’s new years resolutions always fall through is that we are dreaming too big. If someone has never been to the gym before, they likely will not start going to the gym twice a day come the new year. 

“I wish I had the motivation to stay with my goals” Barnard (12) expressed.

The most successful form of a new year’s resolution is incorporating small changes into your daily routine. If someone has the goal to read every day, but they haven’t read a book in years, they should start by simply reading one or two pages a day, every day. It’s necessary for your goal to become a part of your everyday life, or else it might be easier to find reasons to not do it.

Ruby Plummer described her method for sticking with her goals, explaining her plan to stay motivated by keeping up with small things.

 “This new year I am trying to eat healthier. I’m hoping to keep doing that, like eating vegetables with every meal and easy things like that,” Plummer (9) explained.

In conclusion, a new year’s resolution is a fantastic way to improve yourself in a small way. If more people would commit to making small changes in their daily lives, the world would be a more pleasant and active place.