New Year's Resolutions
by: Maddie Marret
With the New Year came new goals and other life-enriching plans. New Years resolutions are a long standing tradition. The origins of these resolutions go back to ancient times: 153 B.C. when Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar.
The mythical king Janus had two faces so he could look back on the past and look forward to the future. Many Romans exchanged gifts and looked for forgiveness from their enemies with the coming of the New Year.
The most common resolution is to spend more time with family and friends; over 50 percent of people polled by about.com said this. About.com listed the top ten New Years resolutions of 2008. The number two is to get fit. Exercising everyday helps avoid certain cancers, enhances mood, lowers blood pressure, and helps arthritis. Number three is to "tame the bulge"; over 66 percent of adult Americans are considered obese. Number four is to quit smoking. On average, smokers try four times before actually quitting. Number five is to enjoy life more. Achieve this goal by pampering yourself, picking up a new hobby, or just doing things you love. Number six is to quit drinking. Many heavy drinkers fail to quit cold turkey, so a more effective approach is gradually reducing or moderating drinking. Number seven is to get out of debt. Number eight is to learn something new. Stretch this resolution to learning one new thing a day as well as one big thing over the course of the year. Number nine is to help others; donate your time, or furniture, clothing and other household items that you no longer need. The number ten is to get organized. This is a good step to a less stressful life.
Jessica Boren, a sophomore, made the resolution to "live it up". Boren wants to "not stress out this year about trivial things" and to "just have fun". To help her achieve this goal, she is going to "stay caught up on homework" so she doesn't stress out. Boren's tips for keeping resolutions are to "stick by it and make it serious so you keep [the resolution]".
Sophomore Kyle Scheller has decided "to stay as organized as possible". Scheller has kept up with his resolution "somewhat, but not all the way. Papers have been lost a lot lately". Scheller plans to "get binders for every class and actually use the binders" in an attempt to get organized. He advises others to "stick with it no matter what".
Math teacher, Jeff Hara, says he is "not a big fan of resolutions" because a "large percent of people don't keep them". He has made more of a "New Years Goal", three actually. Hara divides his life into three categories and he has made a goal for each category. For his family, he wants to "spend more time" with them. For his work, he wants "to be a more efficient teacher" and to "grow and learn by mistakes". For Hara's spiritual life, he wants to "read the entire Bible this year". As of the day he was interviewed, Hara said he has kept up with these goals "as much as [he] could". His short term goals to help him along the way are to "be better organized and to use time better". His three goals are "all rolled together"; by being a more efficient teacher and using his time wisely at work, he has more time to dedicate to his family and scripture readings. He says the "best way to be successful is to be realistic. It's okay to reach, but be realistic. Make a plan on how to get there; don't expect to just get there".
Three steps for keeping resolutions, as described by womanshealth.gov , are to be committed, be prepared for setbacks, and track your progress. When choosing a New Years resolution, pick one that you will stick to and actually achieve through the long term process of short term goal making. Ask family, friends, or a professional to help you achieve your goal. Don't look at setbacks as complete failures and give up. Instead, reevaluate the reasons you decided to set the goal in the first place and think about how much better you will feel once this goal has been reached. Celebrate the positive things you accomplish. Evaluate yourself every week or every other week, but not everyday. Don't over evaluate yourself or compare yourself to others.
It doesn't matter if your personal resolution was on the Top Ten list or not, your goal can be achieved by following the three steps provided. Don't get too tied up in your resolutions, there is always next year.