Leap Year Resolutions
How can we improve ourselves this year, or are resolutions just a waste of time?
Every new year brings with it promise and potential, and most of us begin with lofty expectations of ourselves. What is it about a new year that makes us strive for change? And why are resolutions so hard to stick to? Odyssey staff members offer their thoughts.
Mackenzie Poe, junior: “Something that I am trying to improve for 2024 is to improve my grades. I want the opportunity to go to college and see myself succeed. I want to go to Arizona State or TCU because they have good soccer teams, and I want to follow my soccer dreams.”
Brooke Dockler, senior: “I think New Year’s resolutions are only successful when you set a realistic goal. A lot of people fail because they try to rush getting better at something, and it just doesn’t work.”
Akeelah Russell, sophomore: “I plan on being a better person for myself and the people around me. I feel as if I’m not my best to some people when I’m in a bad mood.”
Ava Meraz, junior: “Instead of diving straight in with 10+ goals, my new year’s resolution is to make a vision of who I want to be in one month, six months, and a year. Based on that vision, I can decide my goals from day-to-day to make it to that yearlong goal. My one-year goal is to have an album ready to release that I am proud of.”
“There is no rush in improving yourself.” — Allisa Pincott
Allisa Pincott, junior: “I have stopped doing New Year’s Resolutions for the most part because I realized that if I am truly passionate about accomplishing a goal, I can easily set that goal any time of the year. It is not a rule of thumb for me to only set goals during New Year’s. I think if a goal is truly worth pursuing, a person should be able to motivate themselves to begin that goal anytime of the year.
I do think that the concept of New Year’s Resolutions is a wonderful idea, as well as an amazing motivator for many, but sometimes people just aren’t ready to commit to a goal at the beginning of the year, and that’s completely okay. They have the entire rest of the year to establish goals for themselves. There is no rush in improving yourself.”
Monika Dudra, junior: “The most important thing is to believe in yourself and stay committed to your goals. Change takes time and effort, but with determination and a positive mindset, you can make it happen.”
Elaina Rudolph, junior: “If I want to progress to be an author in the future, I need to start looking forward in my work. My first goal is to finish my official first draft of my first book. To go along with that, I need to set word goals for myself. Also included in that is to make writing time for myself. My other goal for writing is to plan out the rest of my stories and the characters. I have already made a journal and planned out most of my characters this year. Now, I just need to get another journal and plan out the book that I’m working on.”
Daniel Mills, senior: “I try to make realistic goals so I stick with them longer. Usually, I stick with my resolutions for about a month.”
Kalie Reichenbach, senior: “I would like to become a better version of myself. I would like to work on the positivity I put out to others. I would love to encourage people to do their best and show them that these type of resolutions are possible if you truly want to accomplish them. Improving myself will benefit me and the people I am around. Hopefully, I truly push through this year and try to accomplish my resolutions.”
Isabella Martinez, senior: “I decided that this year I’m going to start creating a list of my family’s recipes for the different food dishes they make. I got a new journal that I can write the recipes in and organized it to the way that I like it. Also, when my family is cooking a recipe, I have begun to take the time to focus on the ingredients used and the process for cooking. Not only does this helps me learn how to cook, but it helps me bond further with my family members.”
“A lot of people fail [at resolutions] because they try to rush getting better at something, and it just doesn’t work.” — Brooke Dockler
Drenesha Johnson, senior: “I am going all out this year on changing my aesthetic to a soft girl/hello kitty-core mixed with a healthy mindset to establish goals and have confidence. The reason why I am doing this is because for years, I have struggled with confidence and self-growth, and this year, I’m planning on reversing that curse.”
German Ovalle, senior: “My main focus is to graduate and get to a good college so I can get a good job for a better future.”
Dylan Millard, senior: “I want to try to always be in a super positive mindset, which I don’t really struggle with — I just want to make sure I apply it this new year. I feel it’s a super important thing that most people should try to do, and not everyone tries. No one thinks it’s important, and they always stay in bad moods, but they never want to look at the upside of things and the positives you can find throughout your day, being grateful and realizing some people would wish for a fraction of what you have.”
Jadon Pierce, senior: “I’ve never really had an actual resolution. I just try to have a better year than the year prior.”
Rocker Ross, junior: “Sleep: I’ve always had a good sleep schedule, but it’s all about continuing what I’ve been doing well. My sleeping schedule is something I’ve always been proud of, so if I can continue it, then I’m setting myself up for success.”
Hailey Cline, senior: “Usually, the people I know only make it through the first week, then -bam- back to bad habits. It’s a committment issues. People don’t change just because the date or year changes. People change when they decide to actually change into healthier lifestyles.”
Gabriel Rodriguez, junior: “Sticking to one goal for an entire year can be tedious and hard. When I make any goal, I set my standards toward what I can actually do.”
“People don’t change just because the date or year changes.” — Hailey Cline
Cristal Soria Medrano, junior: “I’ve been somewhat successful with resolutions in the past. For me, what makes them difficult to stick with is breaking old habits and staying motivated over time. Plus, life can get busy and make it harder.”
Ryder Kettler, senior: “I never remembered my resolution after a few weeks since there was nothing to remind me. My resolutions were also too vague, so I never knew exactly what steps to take to follow them.”
