Enter 2024 with a renewed version of yourself!

“New year, new me!” Have you ever heard that phrase? Many people perceive the new year as a fresh start, a moment to turn the page and step into a renewed version of themselves. 

That perception influences people to make New Year’s resolutions as a way to keep on track with their goals. A survey conducted by Forbes Health/OnePoll found that 29% of 1,005 surveyed U.S. adults feel pressured to set a New Year’s resolution. Resolutions have become a cultural tradition that welcomes us into each new year. 

In the same survey, it was stated that 77% of respondents say they hold themselves accountable when it comes to sticking to their goals. While it is true that sticking to your goals is never an easy job, how do you keep the motivation up? 

1. Set small, specific, and reasonable goals. You are not a superhero; setting small goals will help you feel that you can accomplish them and push yourself to do so. Research has shown that creating a specific plan of where and when you want to do certain things makes you more likely to follow through. 

2. Track your progress. Journaling or establishing a daily habits routine can help you stay on track with your progress and allow you to reflect on your goals. 

3. Surround yourself with supportive and positive people. Having a support system is crucial to ensure that you stay on the right path, stay focused, and help you find the momentum to accomplish your goals. Moreover, it is beneficial for your mental health to feel safe and secure. 

4. Reward yourself! Give yourself appreciation every time you accomplish a goal, no matter how small. Appreciation and rewards help you feel that working on your goals is worthwhile. But remember, do not over-spoil yourself! 

Oh wait, but before that, how do I make resolutions? After interviewing some students and teachers for this article, I found out that most of the time, resolutions come from your self-awareness and looking within. Interviewees found that reflecting on their past actions and how they can improve to be a better person helped to inspire ideas for resolutions. So perhaps you might want to try reflecting on the things that make you feel good, that you want to accomplish again or improve upon in the coming year. Alternatively, you can examine the things that make you feel terrible and strive to ensure they don’t happen again in 2024!

“I want to see myself the way I look at other people,” said Fola Longe, a senior who accomplished her 2023 resolution to be healthier. Longe stated that a major part of her accomplishment is due to her participation in sports and eating healthier this year. For 2024, Longe aims to develop a better mindset and not make her happiness conditional because she realizes how her mindset has affected her mental health this year. 

On the other hand, our sophomore student, Eniola Yahaya, felt awful about her 2023 resolutions the day after her first gym session in the summer – she felt like she got hit by a truck. At the beginning of the year, she planned to work out more and eat healthier; reflecting on that, she feels that she has done well with her eating habits by reducing outside foods. Yahaya wants to carry this resolution to 2024, while also aiming to keep her grades up for the next year. 

Sometimes resolutions are not always about tangible things. Senior Trinity Butler, for example, wants to build better bonds for herself in 2024. She wants to select friends to ensure the people around her can be a support system in a new environment after she graduates from OMHS. 

Coming up with and planning our resolutions can sometimes be easier than actually doing them. Ashley Mattson, one of our seniors, found it challenging to accomplish her resolution this year to improve her mental health. “Yes, I did it! I took more deep breaths during the day, and I feel proud of myself,” stated Mattson. But of course, her journey wasn’t easy. She also mentioned that her decision to be a better person did not go very well, as she endured some mental breakdowns during the process. She copes with that by taking time for herself, which she likes to call a “Mental Health Day.” 

We did see some students accomplish their 2023 goals, but for Mrs. Anderson-Little, our Psychology teacher, making a resolution is something she never sticks to. However, as we come to the end of this year, she is realizing that perhaps she has been too attached to her phone, and would like to spend more time paying attention to her lovely son. Hence, for 2024, Mrs. Anderson-Little plans to reduce her screen time and be more present throughout the day. 

I am hoping for the best for any of us who are aiming to accomplish our 2024 resolutions, and good job to those of us who did accomplish our 2023 resolutions! For those who have not yet accomplished any goals for this year or are still stuck on making resolutions for the next year, I hope this article can help guide you to the new version of yourself. See you in 2024!