With the new year here, it’s time for everyone to start talking about their “New Year’s resolutions,’’ or just the goals they have and would like to achieve for the New Year. New Year’s resolutions are a controversial topic for some people. 

We all have ideas of how we would like to start the new year, from how to better ourselves to not repeating old habits. Some people have an opinion on why they wait till the new year to do better and change things, but most people do not follow through with it as planned. 

“If you really want to start making changes, you shouldn’t have to wait for the new year to start,” said history teacher Lauren Foster. “But I also believe that sometimes we need that fresh start.”

Many people plan to start new things when the new year rolls around. Foster thinks that if you want to change, you should begin whenever you want, instead of just waiting for a new year to start. When most people start making their New Year’s resolutions, they tend to set their goals and expectations very high, finding it hard to succeed and follow through with them. Once they realize it’s more challenging than they thought, most lower their goals to a level much lower than beforehand, but doing this can impact motivation moving forward.

“I believe that it’s a good thing for a lot of people,” said gym teacher Aaron Taylor. “I think everyone should have New Year’s resolutions, but I just wish there was a bigger majority of people that would actually follow through with them.” 

New Year’s resolutions can be an excellent intention and goal for many. Sometimes the year can mean that it’s a new beginning, and it can give people the idea that it’s a fresh start. A time for reflection, New Year’s day allows you to think of things you would like to do differently. Also, when it’s time for a new year, some people use it as an excuse to do better. Instead of starting on some random Thursday, people wait till the year to give themselves the idea that it’s a “fresh start.”

“I think it’s hyped up a lot between people in our age group,” said sophomore Aubrey Brown. “It’s become more of a trend and isn’t taken as seriously as it should be.”

People in the 16-21 age group tend to have around the same New Year’s resolutions. Whether it’s something you see on social media, the news, or heard from a friend, there’s something we all have in common. It can be anywhere from wanting to be nicer to people, eating better, or traveling to new places. It’s become a huge trend, and in a way that takes away the whole point of the matter. Some think that if the same thing weren’t so popular, it would be easier for people to follow through with it for longer than just a few weeks. 

“I think for this year, learning to manage my money better is my New Year’s resolution,” said Brown. “I realized that it’s something that I didn’t do too well in 2022, and I would like to work on that more.”