Here we are in March, and the questions is are we still committed to our New Year’s resolutions. Once every new year occurs, people desire change, and try to do so by making New Year’s Resolutions. The wide-ranging idea spreads among many people as “New Year, New Me,” once the clock hits midnight on December 31 into January 1. Finding places for improvement and change gives more guidance for an action plan. People can always improve from where they are and imagine a new positive self once it is the beginning of the year.  

A survey of the A-West student body regarding New Year’s resolutions shows that 69.2 percent of those who responded make New Year’s resolutions. However, 67.3 percent of the students answered that they do not achieve the goals they set. The most common response for why they do not achieve the goals is laziness, forgetfulness and lack of ambition to accomplish goals. Although many reasons were given regarding not achieving the new goals, one respondent claims “I do not make New Year’s resolutions; I am already living my best life.”

Most resolutions people set for themselves are habits that they do not want anymore. The definition of habit is “a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.” On the website Psychology Today, the article ¨The Science of Why New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work¨ written by Susan Weinschenk Ph.D, talks about the science of changing habits: “To change a new habit you essentially have to create a new one, so whether you are changing an existing habit or creating a new one, the ‘scientific’ method for doing so is the same.” Developing a habit will help with making sure the goals are accomplished in a steady amount of time.

As the article, “Pros and Cons of Making Resolutions” on the website Alternative Daily mentions, the pros of having resolutions for each upcoming year is, one, that it helps reflect on the past year and where there needs to be improvement, and two, that setting resolutions helps people by continuously pushing forward and feeling good about what has been accomplished and soon developing self love. 

There are ways to push people to make sure they are achieving the goals they have set. There is a wide range of goals that students set for themselves. Of course there are going to be pros and cons of setting up resolutions. The attainment of the new goal is all determined by how much the person wants it.