When I asked our dutiful Tatler poll respondents what their 2024 New Year’s resolutions were, I’ll be honest, I was expecting a bit more … intention? More tangible plans and systems being set in motion? As much as I enjoyed responses like “take more pictures, no boys” and “to play MORE league of legends and touch grass less,” I was missing some of the Lakeside intensity I’ve come to expect. How can we be so intense about academic improvement, yet fall short when it comes to setting and following through on personal goals?
I’m not really the authority on this. I’m just a fellow student, inspired by all the people on social media living their best (and better, and better) lives. But for those of us with more or less realistic, busy lives (and since we all still live with our parents and guardians), here’s a quick guide on how to make your 2024 resolutions work for you.
- Start now.
I saw the other day (probably on Pinterest, but let’s pretend it was from some place more serious and reputable) one of those motivational phrases: “Is it one day, or day one?” Though I think it’s a little corny, I can get behind the sentiment. We put off not just our goals, but the changes in our habits that will lead us to accomplish those goals, until the new year, the new semester — even next week. I’m definitely guilty of this, thinking, “Wouldn’t it just be nicer to start this new habit on the first of the month?” But don’t use me as an example (if only in that respect)! Use that burst of motivation to create real momentum. It’s cliché, but there’s no better day to start than today.
- Hold yourself accountable.
Though short and snappy, this section title isn’t totally accurate. Really, you should be getting other people to hold you accountable, so you only have to hold yourself accountable by proxy. Looking to hit the gym more? Start going with your friends in the same free period. Trying to read outside of school? Do a book swap with friends. Lakeside clubs, which seem to be infinitely multiplying (for better or for worse … ), are a good place to meet like-minded people and get an introduction to new skills and hobbies. If you’re somebody who’s motivated by competition, with yourself or others, be sure to set a very specific, measurable goal … then get someone else to set the same goal, and leave them in your dust.
- Adjust your timeline.
One of the problems with New Year’s resolutions, in my opinion, is that their structure doesn’t allow for goal-setting on multiple scales. When you only make annual goals, you don’t get to account for the fact that some goals take longer than others. Some things will never get done in a year, and others can be accomplished at any time. Learning a new skill or reaching a certain benchmark of physical fitness, for example, may be on a very different scale than improving your Physics grade (or, as one poll respondent aspires to, dropping the class altogether). Try setting short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals instead. Pick the scales that work for you! For me, short-term means by the end of the quarter, semester, or school year. Mid-term is by age: Before I turn 18, 19, 20, etc., I want to have achieved x. Long-term resolutions go by decade, and they’re more life manifestations than goals I can achieve (or even strive for) anytime soon. Still, they’re useful to keep in mind.
- Give yourself grace.
With all the schoolwork, extracurriculars, and other factors in Lakesiders’ lives, it’s often difficult to stay consistent with self-improvement. You can’t always stay in the same headspace. Be realistic about what you can accomplish, and go easy on yourself. At the end of the day, you have the rest of your life to work on yourself; it doesn’t need to happen during one of those weeks where the teachers conspire to give tests on the same day. If you’re trying to establish new habits, make sure they’re more or less painless (i.e., you don’t find yourself dreading having to do them) and add significant value to your days, especially if you’re dedicating a lot of time to them. Consistency only works when you’re reasonable about how consistent you can actually be. And above all else, change your goals if they don’t suit you anymore.
