New Year’s resolutions are a big part of starting off 2025 right. Whether it is the pressure to make a positive change for the new year or the feeling of accomplishment, resolutions are a tradition for people around the world. A recurring problem every year with resolutions, though, is that people give up on them. Baylor College of Medicine reports that 88% of people fail or give up by the end of January. So, what resolutions do students make and why do they make them year by year?
Students may think it’s a tradition that they should participate in every year as a way to make sure they live by those goals. Senior Daniel Yaya said it is a way to outline his virtues in their life and how they can improve every year. “I set New Year’s resolutions in order to make sure I’m doing what I truly want to do and make the most of the year,” Yaya said.
Others use them to keep themselves on track. “It lets me hold myself accountable to my goals all year,” Schwartz said.
Resolutions tend to be similar, whether about health, fitness, or less laziness and procrastination. Sophomore Vikram Ayyagari hopes to emphasize priorities this year. “My New Year’s resolution is to spend less time on my phone and on more important things like school and sports. This is important to me because I wasted a lot of valuable time last year on my phone,” Ayyagari said.
Because of these similar themes, some can also be repeated from last year or the previous few years, as people never got to complete the goal. “I want to work more than I did last year, waking up and sleeping earlier, and just set more goals for myself in general,” Yaya said.
Resolutions are made because people want their life to be a certain way or are inspired by famous people or influencers. Schwartz focuses her resolutions on travel and eating less unhealthy foods, which she bases off of goals she sees online. “Some new resolutions this year that I made were to eat less fast food like Taco Bell and McDonald’s as it is a popular place for me and my friends to eat after a long night out,” Schwartz said.
Another familiar theme in resolutions is to be a better person. Schwartz hopes to achieve this by being kinder to others, but also to herself. “I want to make good choices and be more kind to myself and others. This one is the most important goal for me this year because it has such a positive effect on me and my peers,” Schwartz said.
Whether the goal of the resolution is to be kinder, to be fitter and healthier, or to be more hardworking, setting a resolution at the start of a new year is a long-lasting tradition that people everywhere participate in that has a positive impact on themselves and others.
