As the holidays approach, thousands of Americans are committing to new goals in 2019. Students at Washburn Rural High School are making their own New Year’s resolutions, whether they be changing their school study habits, learning a new instrument, or minimizing their stress levels.

The tradition of New Year’s resolutions dates back to 153 B.C. when Janus, a mythical god of Rome, had the ability to reflect on past and future events. On Dec. 31, the Romans imagined Janus’s ability, and this gave them the drive to commit to their own resolutions. The Romans believed Janus could forgive them for their mistakes, and they always sought to earn his blessing in the upcoming year.
New Year’s Resolutions today focus on the same goal of correcting past errors, though they tend to focus solely on self-improvement rather than religious devotion. A Statista survey in 2017 found a series of common New Year’s resolutions. Statistics showed that 53% of people wished to save money, 24% wanted to travel more, 23% committed to reading more books, and 22% were dedicated to learning a new skill or hobby. Some similar goals can be found at Washburn Rural High School. Four out of 10 students surveyed had set a goal for the new year, and 2 of these 10 were related to improving their academics.

Junior Quinn Pert has set several goals for the upcoming year.

“I want to stop procrastinating and reduce my screen time on my phone. I also try to turn in my homework on time, because it’s hard to get back on that train once you’ve fallen behind. I mostly just set a goal to get good grades by studying.” Pert said.

Pert believes that setting these goals is necessary to improving your lifestyle in the new year.

“I think the importance is to feel accomplished and beneficial to your life and others around you. It can feel good to achieve your goals,” Pert said. “To achieve them, I think about how good it will feel to finally accomplish what I want to and get it checked off the list. You can have the right goals, but you also need the right mindset. You actually have to do the work to achieve something.”

New Year’s Resolutions may seem difficult to keep, but there are many strategies to stay on track. Phrasemix.com advises people to write down their resolutions and use a calendar to track their progress. Setting goals and achieving them is satisfying and life-changing. Students who work to accomplish an academic goal are more likely to succeed and decrease stress levels.

Americans all across the country are setting goals this January and with a little commitment and determination, all resolutions can be achieved.