New Year's Resolutions: Why Determination Beats Big Promises

By Ava Claassen, Staff Writer

New Year’s resolutions, some that appear and disappear in the span of a week or so, have influenced the ways that we all live our lives. We drive ourselves to become “better versions of ourselves,” but do most follow through with them to the end of the year? 

Some are short-lived, while others prove to be strong in the long run. This is dependent on the person who is influenced and has the drive to stick with their goals. Social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram have influenced many on their self-improvement journeys in the new year.

The most popular social media resolutions for this year include working out a certain number of times per week, following the 80-20 diet rule, practicing the “75 Hard” fitness journey, beginning the days with slow mornings, journaling, replacing doom scrolling with reading, and many more.

These resolutions are an inspiration for me to improve my life in the new year, stimulating my goals which include saving money, improving my mental health, social media detoxes, prioritizing time with others, and living in the present. These ideas of self-improvement give myself and others a fresh start to be a whole new person in the year to come. They also show that many people value happy, healthy and balanced lives while forming their new versions of themselves.

Motivation often comes from personal reasons and the desire to change an aspect in your life. Oftentimes, my motivation can come from wanting to feel less stressed and wanting to have a healthier lifestyle. The desire to better myself is what gives me motivation to actually achieve my goals.

Everyone has past resolutions that present different outcomes, some successful, while others aren’t. For example, one of my resolutions last year was to wake up every morning at 5 a.m. every morning to get a head start on every day. After the first week, I was exhausted and days seemed longer since I was not getting the sleep I needed. My failure to follow through with this commitment shows that the intentions behind the resolution were motivating, but the goal itself was unrealistic.

New Year’s resolutions can influence our lives by showing us our habits and what we can do to change them. Even if we don’t stick to them perfectly, setting them encourages us to reflect on ourselves and prioritize goals. 

“My resolutions help me to be a better version of my past self,” said junior Max Maldonado. “I learned I can go a long way with hard work and dedication.”

However, sticking to resolutions is not easy. Many give up or forget them within the first few months, or even weeks. In 2025, less than 10% of people achieved their goals at the end of the year, with 23% giving up within the first week and 43% giving up by the end of January, according to Drive Research. These statistics have to do with how realistic people’s goals are. For example, “read for 10 minutes each day” is much easier to follow than “read more.” 

“I’ve done pretty well and haven’t had too big of an issue [with keeping my resolutions],” said senior Will McCarthy. “I just make sure I remember it by writing it down.”

Senior Ruby Baker shared her experiences with setting large commitments in the new year.

“Last year I tried to read a book every week, and it didn’t work very well,” said Baker. 

Reflections of our past resolutions show that even when our goals are not perfect, they present us with learning opportunities about our priorities, habits, and ourselves. New year’s resolutions aren’t magic overnight changes, but they are meaningful goals that require work and determination to achieve. They allow others to rethink their priorities, plan for improvement and to try again. Even if a few small resolutions are kept all year, they produce a ripple effect that sparks inspiration for small changes that can produce a larger growth.

Whether your resolutions for this year are to improve your health, save money, read more or even focus on self-love, perfection is not what matters in fulfilling your goals – it’s progress.