At end of every year, we say goodbye to old habits and develop new ones. We reconcile with old friends, set new goals, and prepare to take on the new year by being a better version of ourselves than from the year before. We change who we are and what we do, because our annual New Year’s resolutions allow us to do so.

New Year’s resolutions give people a chance to develop a fresh start. They give everyone the opportunity to create new goals and try as hard as possible to follow through with them. While some New Year’s resolutions are eventually forgotten about, the important aspect of resolutions to remember is that they can help erase the mistakes made in the past in order to be more successful in the future. As an old year ends and a new year begins, we all make New Year’s resolutions that get us thinking about what we genuinely want to accomplish with our lives before it is all over. The regrets we have, and the missteps we’ve made in the past slowly fade away, as we look forward to what we can do to make the new year be different. At Griffith High School, various students and staff members were asked about what their resolutions are for the year of 2021, and here is what some of them had to say.

For junior Aseret Baez, the new year is all about changing her lifestyle to become a healthier and more fit version of herself. Exercising and eating right is a common New Year’s resolution among the public and is something that Baez has already started doing heading into the new year. Her focus this year is all about being healthful and making good choices so she can feel happier and live a more beneficial lifestyle. She said, “This year, I’d like to really take some much-needed time to work on myself and become more athletic and fit. I feel like this is a goal I’ve had for a while, and now that I’m finally acting on it, I can confidently say that I feel like it’s been extremely beneficial to my overall well-being.”

On the flipside, senior Aubrey Wallace’s new year is filled with goals to change things for her psychologically. She wants to live a healthier and more beneficial lifestyle as well, but by accomplishing tasks that will improve her overall mental health so that she can become more productive with her life. “In 2021, I would like to work on my mental health and become happier as a result. I feel like there are many different steps I need to take to help improve this, but I believe I will end up better for it. Eventually, I would like my happier mindset to help me to stay more focused in school and not become so far-off track with my assignments. Keeping myself in line is what is important to me right now, and I feel like that can only be accomplished by having a healthier mindset.”

FACS department head, Shannon Scheidel’s New Year’s resolution is just two words: be present. In 2021, she’s taking the time to become more present with family and friends while actively listening to conversations and communicating better with them. “Every night at 7 P.M., my phone goes on to Do Not Disturb so I can limit the amount of times I go on it in the evening. At home, I’m trying to be more present in the conversations I have with my family instead of being on my phone all of the time and not paying attention. It’s important to me that I do this, because I want to give my undivided attention to my family at all times.”

Science department head Julie Wencloff has a different take on New Year’s resolutions. This year, her resolution is to be more strict about what she eats. Wencloff believes that portion control is the first step to living a healthier life. She said, “My New Year’s resolution is to control my portions of food when I eat. The reason is simply because I don’t need all of that food. Nobody needs that much food. In fact, the world eats too much food. I know it’s sometimes tempting to eat the brownie that’s sitting right in front of you, but I can reduce my food intake and still be satisfied.”

Whatever your New Year’s resolutions may be, the important aspect to remember is that you are setting goals to be a better version of yourself. Some might call it stupid, but creating resolutions means that you are recognizing a change that needs to be made in your everyday life. For a lot of people, recognizing that needed change is hard, whether you are trying to have a healthier body or even a healthier mindset. Creating change at the start of a new year is like opening the cover to a new book: only you can decide how far you will go until you finish. That is why when New Year’s Eve comes around, encourage your friends and family to participate in creating resolutions. Maybe you will not follow through with them, but creating resolutions is all about creating change. Sometimes, creating change is good.