With the pandemic being  back on the rise and talks of another brief quarantine circulating, the idea of a New Years Resolution seems to be getting old. 2020 for a lot of people was the big opportunity to indulge in dream hobbies and refresh old skills. The frenzy of baking, knitting and making Tik Toks was fun back then but as we go into a third year with the pandemic still affecting daily life greatly, the New Year, New Me motto is becoming stale. CBS news did a poll and found that the percentage of people planning to make resolutions this year has dropped from 43% to 29% from the previous year. It is getting hard to plan anything with such uncertainty, and coupled with the recent fluctuating weather patterns and many world crises, it’s getting harder to feel like anything matters anymore. 

It doesn’t seem like many teachers are making resolutions either, based upon the limited number of replies to an e-mail survey, however the ones that did come in were very thoughtful.  Science teacher, Ms. Michelle Desrochers said her resolution was “to reconnect with loved ones and important friendships from throughout my life in a personal way – not social media/texting/calling but actual real life associations to rebuild what years have lost.” This is a goal many people have set but struggle to attain, because even though Covid has been around for a long time, people are still wary about meeting up with loved ones who are high risk. However, with a large percentage of the US being vaccinated and Omicron being less deadly, family gatherings are growing in popularity.

Special Education teacher, Mrs. Jackie Owens, our second responder, said, “During Advisory I set the SMART goal of competing in my 1st Olympic triathlon this summer. My resolutions are to keep faith, family, & fitness as my highest priorities. I will do this by focusing before and after work on quality time with God, family, and in training.”  Mrs. Owens’ resolution included family, but also talked about prioritizing fitness which is another very popular resolution. However, some people are finding this difficult; most gyms are still requiring masks, and it is currently winter and not ideal for outdoor exercise.

However, it may help to set a clear end goal and plan like Mrs. Owens has. Even if it’s not an athletic event like an Olympic triathlon, having simpler goals like being able to hold a plank for one minute or doing 10 push ups will make daily exercise seem more attainable and will pay off in the long run with consistency. If it is a sports team you are looking to join, there are many spring sports to try out for and this time is a great time to prepare for that. 

Whether you set New Year’s resolutions or not, it’s important to be strong during this time and pay attention to your mental and physical health and not be afraid to ask for help.

Finally, if you do have a New Year’s Resolution you’d like to share, type it below in comments.