Melissa Nunez – Opinions and Features Editor
As February begins and the semester picks up, students and faculty may have trouble holding on to the commitments they made to themselves when the ball dropped. According to a study from the University of Scranton in 2002, 92 percent of those who make resolutions, abandon them by the end of the new year. So why does the overwhelming majority break their new year commitments?
The Statistic Brain Research Institute determined that losing weight trended the highest among 2017 resolutions at over 21 percent, self improvement followed at over 12 percent percent, and improving personal finances at 8 percent. Resolutions like these tend to be positive and aimed at improving one’s overall life and productivity but they can become overwhelming once the year presses on. We visualize our best delves in the beginning year but then find the resolutions to be intrusive in other aspects of our lives by the end of it.
While 41 percent continue to trust in their new year resolutions, 42 percent have decided to do away with the practice altogether, according to the Statistic Brain Research Institute. Some believe that time is relative, so a goal is a goal regardless on whether it was made at the start of the year or midway. I tend to agree, but who is to say a new year’s resolution should be any less viable because they are made yearly? Perhaps it is healthy to make a yearly commitment to overall improvement or self care.
Regardless, whether or not you have let your goals fall by the wayside, the commitment to bettering yourself is something you can return to.
Make sure these goals are realistic. Setting the bar too high can become discouraging and will definitely knock you off track the longer you try to accomplish it. But do not shy away from the challenge completely, vow that this will be the year you chip away at it.
Making lists help to keep you organized and focused on your commitments. Set reminders, write down your accomplishments, create a schedule. Make sure your new goals do not intrude on your responsibilities but rather become aligned with them.
Share your goals with your friends and ask for support if and when you need it. Tell each other where you see yourselves and each other by the end of the year and motivate each other to stay committed. It may seem embarrassing or even foolish, but talking about your goals helps you visualise and stick to them.
Lastly, recognize that failure will be a stepping stone to success. To those who accomplished their goals without ever knowing defeat, more power to you, but I am pretty sure us regular mortals have felt the discouraging sting of failure every now and again. Step one is try and fail. Step two is to get up.
Photo Credit: Melissa Nunez
[…] Published: February 3, 2017 […]