Every year brings fresh New Year’s resolutions. This year, 48.4% of students are making resolutions, according to a survey conducted by The Union with 94 respondents.
Many responders struggle to keep up with their resolutions in the past as the year progresses, according to the survey.
“If you have a strong enough will to make them work, they’ll work,” said senior Derek Castro.
Castro’s resolution was to go to bed before midnight every day and avoid procrastinating on his homework, he said. For the first and second weeks, he was doing fine with his resolution, he added.
“(Third) week is bad,” Castro said. “(The resolution) fell apart within the span of this week. I think it’s just me seeping into the bad habits again.”
Social studies teacher Roy Huang seeks to lose ten pounds, propose to his girlfriend, and create a corporate investment account, he said. He has already lost around three pounds, he added.
“No simple carbohydrates, no sugars, no snacks, intermittent fasting, working out, and trying to cut back on red meat,” Huang said when asked about how he plans to lose weight.
Huang has been successful with his resolutions in past years, he said.
“Discipline,” Huang said when asked how he achieved his past resolutions.
Senior Issac Jones aims to improve his sleep schedule, he said.
“I created what I call my ‘sunrise 1/17’ system,” Jones said. “The idea is that I will always aim to get up an hour after sunrise or earlier, and sleep 17 hours after the day’s sunrise or earlier. This equates to 8 hours of sleep if done correctly, as well as taking full advantage of the daytime sunlight.”
Jones wasn’t getting enough sleep due to failing to hold himself accountable for not sleeping on time, he said. In senior year, where things matter less, it could be difficult to hold himself accountable, he added.
“I was depressed because I had the opposite problem on weekends,” Jones said. “I would sleep in as late as noon to catch up on lost sleep, but I still ended up tired. I was also sad because I enjoy experiencing sunlight, and I would miss about half of the day’s sunlight in the morning hours while I was still sleeping.”
Jones personally believes that resolutions are a great idea because anything that encourages people to set goals to better themselves is meaningful, he said.
“Trying and failing is better than not trying at all, even if what you are doing is futile,” Jones said.