Why do we make New Year’s Resolutions? 

New Year’s Resolutions actually started with the Babylonians over 4,000 years ago! It is a chance to start again with a fresh slate. Making new resolutions is a good idea because it allows you to be honest with yourself and truly consider the things that are maybe not up to par in your life. You are forced to take responsibility for your actions and change the things that are in your control. It can help you to be intentional with the things you do and give you a chance to determine where your precious time and effort go. Making a resolution means that you have a belief that things can get better and that you can be a happier, more fulfilled person. This optimistic mindset will affect your future in a positive way and lead to good mental health in the new year.  

How do you stick to your resolutions?

Once you know what you want to achieve, you have to figure out how to make that dream a reality. One of the biggest things is to make sure your resolutions are super specific. When they are broad or vague, it’s easy to not think about them since you don’t really know the first step to take. For example, if your resolution is “to get healthier,” you don’t have a clear direction. But if you narrow things down, it’s easier to make progress. If you say your goal is “to go running twice a week,” you’ll know exactly what to do! A specific resolution like this will also be more attainable because you’ll know when you have succeeded. 

Another way to stick to a resolution is to reward yourself in a healthy way until it becomes a habit. For example, if your goal is to be active, every time you workout you could reward yourself with a treat afterwards like a Starbucks Refresher. The goal of new year’s resolutions is for them to eventually become implemented into our daily lives. For this to happen, it’s important to be consistent and intentional in following through with new practices. 

If you are still thinking about resolutions to start this year, you might find it helpful to see what’s on other RMA students’ minds. We took a survey to see how many Eagles have made resolutions and what the most popular ones are. Out of our student body, a bold 80% said that they have a resolution for 2024. Most students said that their biggest goals for the new year are to be more active and to be more organized to do better in school. Other admirable goals–all of which involve self-care–include journaling more, growing in one’s faith, and living in the present. 

We hope everyone has a wonderful 2024 and are so proud of our fellow students for taking it upon themselves to figure out how to be the best versions of themselves. Whatever new year’s resolutions you have made, we wish you the best of luck with them and hope this article gave you some ideas on how to be successful!