When someone thinks about their New Year’s resolutions, oftentimes they might want to make goals that end up being too unrealistic for themselves which causes them to give up on their passions and continue their old habits. Why does this happen so often?  Out of the 45% of Americans who make them, only around 8% follow through with their promise. 

The origin of resolutions goes back in time to the Babylonians, who had made promises to their gods that in their new year, they would pay off past debts and objects to make peace with their king and their gods. Julius Caesar’s calendar took on a similar tradition, including an animal sacrifice in effort to devote themselves to becoming better people. Early Christians also took part in the idea of bettering themselves in the new year. By completing religious practices the night of Christmas Eve, Christians would promise God to be better people and strengthen their faith. 

As the first month of 2023 closes, many students have found that they have not made much progress with their set New Years’ Resolutions. Most people give up their resolutions most often on the second Friday of January, known as “quitters day.”

“I don’t think people should give up as easily as [others] do,” senior Ashton Wang said. “I believe everyone can have the opportunity to dig deep in themselves and find something that keeps them going.”

When looking at the subject from abroad, it’s clear why resolutions don’t commonly end up being fulfilled due to early timing. When a person decides to commit to something all of a sudden because of it being January 1st, it may not be the right timing as many people are very hesitant when it comes to larger commitments such as self-improvement and becoming a better version of themselves. 

Some people may even simply forget they made resolutions in the first place because it is something that they have never really prioritized for themselves. Many people have reported that they simply “do not have time,”  to pursue this passion and this goal for themselves that they had set forward. It has been reported that 35% of individuals stated that the main reason for failing is their consistent lack of motivation that continues to hold them back from following their dreams. 

“I really wish I could actually keep myself in check especially when it comes to my New Year’s resolutions, since I agree that many people say all of these things but it is truly hard to actually commit yourself into just doing it,” senior John Flores said.

Fortunately, there are many solutions that are available to individuals who really are looking forward to committing themselves to their own goals, most notably starting small while also choosing the most concurrent issues that may be affecting you.

Many of us like to set unprecedented goals for ourselves but we must first take a step back and direct our focus onto the things that we are sure we can successfully pursue without disturbances.

2023 may be “just another year” to some people, but in reality when a new year starts it is always a sign to finally take a look at yourself and reflect back on what types of achievements you have been able to make and what kind of person you want to become.

“I don’t really make ‘resolutions’ for myself since I think if you want to start to change you should just start now, because why not?” senior Jerado Torres said. “What is really stopping you from making change?”