The New Year's Resolution. It can come in many forms: scribbled down on the page of a notebook, published via a Facebook status update, frustratingly vented out to a friend in mid-December, or just a measly declaration that "Next year, I'll ... (fill in the blank)".
I started writing this story the day before its deadline.
As one of my many 2010 New Year's resolutions was to stop procrastinating once and for all, this is an example of one of many "Epic Fails" that teens came across this year regarding their New Year's resolutions.
At the start of every new year, people from all ages and walks of life resolve to make changes for the better in their lives. Yet some teens' aspirations fall to a hasty demise, whether it is a Valentine's Day chocolate binge for someone who resolved to eat healthier, or a locker turning into a dump by midterm when someone made every effort to stay organized.
To say it lightly, more often than not these resolutions simply don't work out. Exactly how long does it take for these ambitions to come to an end?
"I stuck to it for ... a few hours. I'm completely undedicated," said Angela Hinrichsen, a senior at Box Elder High School.
Cutter Bergman, a sophomore at Box Elder High, had slightly more success. She stuck to her goals for "about a month. I gave up on most of them, but the ones that mattered most were the ones I stuck to."
Army Joseph, a junior at Clearfield, had even less luck.
"Times I have given up; It usually occurs before I begin," Joseph says.
Bailing out
Luckily, after 2010 comes to a close, some stories can be learned from and looked at through a comical lens. Calvin Ly, a junior at St. Joseph High, remembers the exact tipping point that his resolution to work out more went down the drain.
"I remember the moment I stopped going to the gym," Ly said. "It was a Saturday morning and all of a sudden 'Top Gun' was on and it was actually my first time watching it and I said to myself, 'I'll work double next time,' but it just became a habit and after that I just stopped going altogether."
His resolution to improve his romantic life, however, didn't have such a distinctive tipping point.
"Picking up chicks is still in effect," he added.
Meghan Merrison, a sophomore at Bonneville, had a romantic resolution reverse that of Ly's. She said, "I was going to stay off guys so I could pay attention to grades, and then Valentine's Day came."
Andrea Reed, a senior at St. Joseph, blames constant temptation for her goal's failure.
"I told myself I wouldn't drink as much soda as I do and that I would eat less sweets and candy. However, we keep a lot of soda in the house because my dad works for Pepsi, so the temptation is always there," Reed said.
Starting afresh
Others blame their natural tendencies for the failure of their resolutions.
"I'm an emotional eater so I just CAN'T eat healthy, and I have problems getting good grades because other things just seem more important," Deborah Alread, a junior at Bonneville, added.
While most teens are self-motivated in their resolutions, some set their goals for other people rather than themselves.
"Most of the time I don't do it for me, I do it for my parents," said Joseph.
As 2011 begins, teens welcome the year with hopes of success with their resolutions.
Alread said, "Of course I'll make new resolutions, probably just the same ones revised."
What will teens do to avoid their previous faux pas?
"Small gradual changes is the way to go," Reed said. "If you try to do something all in one day and say 'Now I'm going to keep it this way,' you won't get anywhere."
New goals for 2011
Or Hinrichsen suggests that "they could make a change depending on the person and their dedication; small goals with gradual changes because big ones are overwhelming."
As we get ready for the new changes in our lives, Joseph reminds us that, "Each year is different. A new year requires new goals."
Will this be the year of triumph for Top of Utah teens? We can all look to it being so.
Emmie Oliver is a junior at St. Joseph Catholic High School. She can be found on the volleyball court or snapping photos in her free time. Contact her at hatuzie@hotmail.com.
Comments