As the year comes to a close, people get ready for a new year. So much is possible; both good and bad. Many hope for a better year and a clean slate. Often, a person will choose something they would like to improve upon in. This becomes their New Years resolution. 

How long will they stick with it? Typically, not very long. This could be for a couple reasons; loss of motivation or loss of willpower. The first week of the new year is when you will see a lot of people working hard to reach their goal. 

A common example would be someone going to get a gym membership. At the beginning they will keep up with working out, but as time goes on and they are not getting the results they want right away, they start going less and less. Around now (end of January) a lot of people have already stopped reaching for their goals.

Junior Justin Ta commented on why he believes people stop trying to reach their resolution.

“Often, people want to see results immediately. This is not always possible depending on the resolution. It may take weeks or months for a person to accomplish their goal, but they do not have the patience for that. Therefore, they stop trying and drop it all together,” Justin Ta said.

Junior Jared Dost also shared his opinion on New Year’s resolutions.

“Making a New Year’s resolution is a good idea, but often not followed through with,” Jared Dost said.

Having a resolution is not a bad thing. It is just something a person needs to stick with. If someone needs more motivation, they can try telling someone their goal. This will allow them to have a support system if they ever feel like giving up. Or try reaching the goal with a friend. Having someone to motivate you can make it easier to push for the result you want to see.

Another option could be creating a goal bored or writing your goal on a post-it note and putting it somewhere in which you will see it often. These can serve as a constant reminder. Making it more likely for a person to stick with their goal.