Column: New Year’s Resolutions

Lately I’ve heard a lot of people knocking New Year’s resolutions, saying things such as there’s no point because they’re always broken and if you really wanted to make a change, you shouldn’t have to wait until the new year. While both of those points are valid enough for some people, I’m still a firm believer in a good ole’ list of goals for the new year.

I try to make goals that allow me to challenge myself, but aren’t so far out of reach that they’re impossible to accomplish. Also, I try to limit myself to around seven. Anything longer than that is hard to keep track of. By the end of the year if I’ve successfully completed at least five of them, I’m a happy camper.

For instance, my goals for 2016 are:
1. To read one paperback book every two weeks.
2. To write in my journal at least twice a week.
3. To get in the habit of going to church every Wednesday night.
4. To write at least three articles that truly challenge me, whether it’s the content or the amount of work I have to put into them.
5. To spend more time with my family, and less time on my phone.
6. To move up at least seven people in my class rank by the end of sophomore year.
7. To make one of the best scrapbooks the Mansfield student council has ever seen (I’m the historian).

See? Not anything too outrageous, but still something. I’m a pretty cheesy person and I’ve always felt a new year was like a fresh page and a chance to improve upon yourself. It’s that little push you need to get the ball rolling. But I also believe that if you go into writing your New Year’s resolutions with the attitude that you know you’re going to break them, then there really is no point. Whether or not you make them or break them ultimately comes down to your attitude.

I’m jumping into 2016 with a bright attitude, a few new books on my bedside table, and an empty journal. And you know what? I think it’s going to be a pretty fantastic year!