Have you made your New Year’s Resolution yet? With the Holidays coming to an end and the impending doom of going back to school after two weeks off, it seems like a joke to say that in 5 days the year is over and you have to get back on track. If you search “New Year’s Resolutions”, they are defined as “personal promises made at the start of the new year to improve oneself”. Some examples include the desire to lose weight, eat healthily, exercise more, manage your time better, put your phone away, achieve better grades, etc. I could go on for hours, but that would only add to your own list of things that you think you need to improve. At the end of the year, many Americans reflect on the decisions they have made and think they need to work harder and be better. Are those goals just a bandwagon? Or are they actually things that you want to improve upon in 2026?
New Year’s Resolutions are not kept for long, though, with many people giving up within the first 4 months. The usual reasons for failure to follow through are doing too much at one time, setting unrealistic goals (with a lack of plan and ease), and a drop in motivation. Before the holidays, people are ecstatic and excited to celebrate Christmas, but once the new year start,s they are burdened by their own over-estimations. It isn’t because they don’t have time, but rather they prioritize other things in their life that are less of a concern.
Let us talk about work-life balance now. Yes, it is essential to have time to have fun with family and friends outside of your work, but performing well at work is also important. Having a stable job can help support your goals for your future, like financing, traveling, a home, funding for children, and maybe time off of a screen. All of these benefits of working hard will be a reward; if you stick with your goals and work towards them, you will end up being more fulfilled. This is not as easily accomplished when being presented with certain circumstances, though: You’re a single mother, working double shifts and still needing to make time, money, and energy to take care of another whole human being. It is hard, I know. But maybe you start prioritizing your own time and your own happiness.
Although I can say that I myself have fallen victim to losing my way in the slow months, I can proudly say that I have not completely crumbled. In the future, I hope that we as a nation can better see the beauty in setting realistic goals for ourselves and try new things in the new year!
