Once again, it’s that time of year when people make resolutions and break them within days.
Since the start of the 2025 new year, individuals around the world have set new goals and aspirations to better improve themselves. Every year, billions of people set out to achieve their resolutions, but do those fantasies ever become a reality? What happens once the energy and excitement wear off days after the ball drops? How many aspirations fail to come to full fruition?
For at least four millennia, civilians have celebrated the commencement of a new year. The recording of resolutions dates back to the ancient Babylonians, who wrote down their hopes for good fortune. Julius Caesar established January 1st as the beginning of the year, with the name of the month bearing significance to the Romans. The month was named after Janus, a god thought to open pathways into the past and future. To please the deity, many Romans promised moral behavior for the coming year.
Since then, the making of a resolution has occurred at the end of the calendar year, with desires to transform into a new, well-rounded individual in the new year.
Mrs. Tallerico, an 11th-grade English and Yearbook teacher, voiced her experience with creating a resolution in 2024.
“I think New Year’s resolutions are fun to make, but I don’t put a lot of pressure on myself to make them. However, I kept mine from last year. My resolution was to read more, and I read 55 books,” she said.
According to the Pew Research Center, young adults are more likely to make resolutions, with nearly 49% of people between the ages of 18 and 29 creating one in 2024. 79% of the goals fall within the realm of health and wellness. These aspirations lead to gym capacities reaching an all-time high in January and February. With that being said, 70% of Americans feel as though creating resolutions is pointless.
Senior Ashley Friend stated, “Every time I try to stick with the New Year’s resolution, it usually fails… So I like to set small goals for myself that are actually attainable.”
In a poll recorded by Forbes, the average resolution lasts around 3.74 months with unofficial dates set to commemorate the common failure. “Quitters Day,” which falls on the second Friday in January, serves as a benchmark for how long New Year’s resolutions normally last.
“I think resolutions are a good thing to make, but in reality, they never last, and you look stupid saying it,” senior Isabella Zavolta said.
Although many feel that New Year’s resolutions are pointless, senior Lauren McGuire shared her opinion on creating goals to better oneself.
“I believe that the idea of New Year’s resolutions is positive,” McGuire said. “However, if you feel the strong need to entirely revamp your life, that should not need to happen at the beginning of the year. It could happen whenever.”
Ultimately, if people decide they want to commit themselves to a new set of goals and aspirations, then they should do so. However, if someone plans to revamp their lifestyle, they should start whenever, not necessarily on January 1st.
