New Year’s resolutions are a staple in society. Whether it is trying to budget better, planning to spend more time with family, or trying to get fit, many people participate in this goal-setting extravaganza. While loved, the question still remains: do people genuinely go through with their resolutions? Reaching the goals that have been set may seem easy, but without taking the correct steps, it’s harder than some think. Some goals are harder than others–it all depends on if people are willing to commit to them. 

The first step to creating New Year’s resolutions is easy: goal setting! That is the essence of resolutions. Even if someone knows their weaknesses, they may not be able to work up the courage or motivation to follow through with setting said goals. There are three important rules when it comes to goal setting: Think, Know, Follow. Thinking is key in order to know what one wants, to know what is best for them. You have to know what you want in order to work up that motivation and courage, and you have to follow in order to reach your goal. But sometimes, we all need a little extra help. 

“Start out with small, more maintainable goals,” said Ann Barker, one of Marshfield High School’s math teachers. “Even if you don’t know why you’re trying to reach a goal, just accomplishing one is something that is rewarding. Everyone has something that they would like to work on.” 

As an individual sets goals, it’s also important to keep track and have measurable checkpoints. Without these, it’s impossible to see when progress is made.

 “When students share something that they want to accomplish, I like to sit down with them and say ‘Okay, you want to accomplish this, what are the steps?’ and break it down to where it’s obtainable,” Barker said. “A lot of times, people–even my own kids–would like to accomplish something, but they don’t know how to do it. Sometimes, I see students get so rigid in their goal-setting, that it becomes a missed opportunity.”

Regardless of if you believe in New Year’s Resolutions or not, most people have goals that they wish to accomplish. As mentioned before, many people have trouble following through with them. 

“I would say no, even in my own experiences with New Year resolutions, for example trying to do a ‘get fit’ resolution,” said MHS P.E. teacher Brooke Blondell. “I think sometimes there’s just unrealistic expectations that people want to reach in a short period of time, and you just really have to know that the process is going to be a lot longer than you think.” 

Blondell points out that there is a difference between setting goals and setting New Year’s resolutions; resolutions are usually set within a certain timeframe, which is why people get burned out. Goals can be set any time throughout the year, with progress points whenever one desires.

“Personal goals that I have is to spend more time with my family, and try to be more energetic when I get home from work for my kids,” said Blondell. 

Aside from goals such as more exercise, budgeting, and lifestyle changes, there’s one specific goal that’s relatable to the majority  and that would be to have stellar grades. Like many goals seem to be, this one may be difficult for many, but no one is alone in their journey. 

“My personal goal is honestly to pass with mostly A’s,” said freshman Hailey Lessley.

When it comes to succeeding in school there are some main things worth focusing on in order to improve. These include things such as study habits, organization, attendance, and using resources.

“I do my school work, and keep up with everything,” Lessley explained. “I try to go to school everyday, go to all of my classes, and turn in all of my work–make sure you try and show up to school as much as possible, go to all your classes , and build up that self-motivation.”

Easy, hard, or just plainly unrealistic, New Year resolutions seem to be a staple tradition for many. Regardless of being a believer in them or not, it’s healthy to set goals. Encourage becoming a better version of oneself, there’s no limit to improvement. All one has to do is take the correct steps: be motivated, committed, and follow through with whatever goals are set. With 2024 right around the corner, it is the perfect time to start considering what resolutions are best.