By Kelsey Gabalis ‘27
With the start of this new year, there is no doubt that many of us will be writing out resolutions for a fresh start. But after the excitement fades, how likely are they to come to fruition? According to a Forbes survey, only around 1% of those surveyed stuck with their goal till the end of the year. So let’s discuss why that may be and what we can do to help prevent giving up when writing our resolutions for 2024.
Unsurprisingly, the most common type of resolutions surround physical and mental health for the new year. One of the main issues with goals like this is that they’re vague and not easy to follow, planning out your resolution and setting a specific goal will make it more likely for you to stick with it. Just simply stating that you will “exercise more” is much harder to follow than setting a guide such as “I will go for a run two times a week.”
It’s also important to remember that messing up does not mean that you should give up, remember that you are not going to be perfect all year and recovering from mess ups will make or break your resolution. Starting small is key, if you begin with too large of a goal and you inevitably fail, it will crush your confidence to continue. So be realistic with your goals and be picky about which ones you choose to pursue.
Having others around you to support you and keep you accountable can have a big impact on the result of your commitment. We function better when there is a community around us, so share your resolutions with your loved ones and encourage them to keep you motivated throughout the year.
