While in high school, it can become easy to lose sight of one’s goals with everything else happening in life. For that reason, it can be helpful for students to set resolutions for the New Year. Common resolutions in high school range anywhere from keeping a calendar, committing to good grades or trying something new.

Senior Justice Hess has made a resolution that will allow him to continue to succeed past this year and into the rest of his life.

“My New Year’s resolution is to try and get a job as soon as possible,” Hess said. “[This resolution is important this year] because I realize college is approaching and I want to be prepared with some savings.”

While getting a job may seem like an easy task for some, for Hess this could present as a challenge.

“The most difficult part about getting a job will be to manage my time even more than I have to now,” Hess said.

Another common resolution for high schoolers is to stop procrastinating with their assignments. When students begin to wait until the last minute to start their homework, stress and anxiety can build up which has negative consequences on the student and the assignment.

Junior Erin Bortz is hopeful that 2017 will be the year she can put procrastination behind her.

“Staying up late writing essays and being tired the next day is not fun, so I hope to start brainstorming as soon as I get the assignment and I can then break up the assignment into parts,” Bortz said.

According to Bortz, the hardest part of sticking to her resolution is actually motivating herself to do her work in a timely manner, but she does feel pushing through this will help her in the long run.

“Not procrastinating will change my life because I can take these habits into college with me and into the rest of my life,” Bortz said.

Resolutions surrounding school are good to have, but junior Payton Tremblay has chosen a different route to take this year.

Phones can be a huge distraction in high school and Tremblay hopes this year she can put her phone down and enjoy the small moments.

“[In the past year], I found myself on my phone during times I was with my family and friends,” Tremblay said. “Being on my phone took away from so many wonderful experiences.”

Tremblay has had resolutions in prior years, but has yet to keep any of them.

“I think by holding myself accountable I can make sure I stick to my resolution, although the hardest part will be resisting taking pictures while with my friends and family,” Tremblay said.

If thinking of making a resolution like these, there are a few important things to consider before doing so. Before one starts thinking about making changes,it is important to decide what needs to be changed with your lifestyle.

It is also key to be realistic when you set your resolution and set a specific goal. Studies show those people who have a specific goal have a much better chance of being successful than those who choose something broad. Writing down the resolution or listing the reasons behind making those changes can also keep people on track when trying to reach goals. Encouragement from others is another huge part in succeeding, so it would be beneficial to find people who will support the resolution.

Mid-January to early-February are the hardest times on resolutions, so students should prepare for these times when motivation falls.

If one begins to notice he/she is losing motivation, there are a few things he/she can do to continue pushing towards your goal. These include having a reward to work for or keeping in mind how much better life will feel when the goals are met.

One last important thing to remember is if the day comes where one can no longer sustain your habit, do not consider it a failure. Just remember some days are better than others and there is always 2018 to make a new resolution.