One of the first things on our mind when the new year approaches is what our are goals for resolutions are. However, that has been around for a long time. According to Sarah Pruitt, an editor for History.com, ancient Babylonians were the first to make them nearly four thousand years ago. Like many things, resolutions have changed in meaning and value to people over time. 

“When I was young, I rarely made new year’s resolutions. Instead, I tended to celebrate the previous year and soak up the optimism of the new year.” KC Weaver, an English teacher, said.

 “The only one I can actually remember was my sophomore year of high school. I received a ‘One Year Bible’ for Christmas. It broke the Bible into daily readings so that you could read the whole thing in a year in bitesize chunks. I didn’t quite do it in a year, but I did finish it. I suppose that was a resolution.” 

In a survey of students, it was found that a majority of participants or around 63% did make resolutions, but fewer than 55% consistently kept them. The new year is a chance to work toward goals, but some may wonder why the new year is needed to actually start these goals.

“It’s just people’s goals that they are too lazy or busy to work on during the year,”  Alyssia Tenwolde (9) said. “They take the new year as a new beginning and see it as an opportunity to finish that goal, but they are still themselves. Nothing has changed but the date.”

New Year’s resolutions definitely change over time in many ways. It changes in culture, along as we get older and what you do or your family influences.

“Nowadays, my resolutions are not so much resolutions as opportunities to plan for the year.” Weaver said.  “I usually work on my family budget, especially since taxes are coming. If I have a semester class, I plan that class out. If I have a new unit I’m going to teach or I am going to change a unit, I think through and start planning that.” 

We put different meanings on things as we grow up and other things change. “I finished coloring a mandala coloring book when i was in the 5th grade I was pretty proud of that,”  Sarah Scott (9) said

While many of our projects or resolutions are simple they change and evolve over time to help ourselves improve. Resolutions are that push to make new goals and plans to better yourself.