It is that time of year once more. The smell of smoke. The sound of firecrackers going off like bombs. People gathering around, waiting for the countdown.  Yes, I am talking about a new start. A time where we can let go and begin again. It is the New Year. One thing that is always included in a New Year is our New Year’s resolutions. We always say we can do them, but do we?

From improving our health to improving our grades, we all have had a resolution for the year. New Year’s resolutions originated when many people around Europe, such as Rome and Babylon (Ancient Mesopotamia in the Middle East), made promises to their gods. We tell each other what they are and how we are going to accomplish them. But we always seem to leave something out. Something that is possibly more important than the plan to accomplish the resolution itself. How are we going to keep ourselves motivated? Without motivation, we cannot achieve what we set ourselves towards. An Australian website (finder.com.au) did a poll about New Year’s resolutions, and according to their data, two out of three people fail their goals. The main reasons why are because people will set themselves unrealistic goals, lose progress of their goals, or they just simply forget about them.

Nevertheless, our students here at McKinley High School have their own resolutions. Some are to improve physical health.

“My New Year’s Resolution is to workout,” Freshman Taylor Delcorro said. “I keep motivated by checking my weight daily.”

Others are more mental and emotional improvements.

“My New Year’s Resolution is to swear less,” Freshman Kevin Zaragoza said. “I’ll stay motivated by looking at people that are being nice to me.”

“I think that we have New Year’s Resolutions to become better people,” Freshman Donovan Pak said.

On finder.com.au, the people that did succeed in their New Year resolution is because they shared it with others, such as social media sites. Also, people succeed more when they set goals (for example, saying, “I will lose 10 pounds,” rather than saying, “I will lose weight”).  We have always heard the phrase, “never give up, and you will succeed.” This is true, as long as you’re willing to dedicate a year towards a better you.