How are those New Year’s Resolutions going?

Hannah Shillo, Associate News Editor

The first month of the year has come and gone, and with it went many New Year’s resolutions, but some Eastern students have been sticking to the promises they made to themselves on Jan. 1.

Some decided to work harder in school, some wanted to be physically and mentally healthier and some had too many resolutions to count.

Tyrese Rawls, freshman undecided major, said he wanted to get a higher GPA this semester in addition to being more active in the gym.

He said his semester has started on a good note grade-wise and he has been consistent going to the gym.

Carly Nau, freshman psychology major, decided she is going to put herself first and focus on her health.

“I’m doing a lot more now than I did at the beginning of the year and I’m definitely getting more intense with it,” Nau said.

Molly Peart, sophomore special education major, wanted to get more involved on campus and work to make herself happy.

Since the semester started, Peart has joined the Student Council for Exceptional Children and Best Buddies organizations.

Alex Cleveland, freshman environmental geography major, said he wants to be more independent and feel comfortable doing things on his own.

Jessica Nevius, junior human services program administration major, decided to focus on three new things each month.

“I pick … things that I could do better (and) things that I need to change about myself that’ll make me a better person,” Nevius said. “That way, I don’t have to pick one resolution.”

For January, she decided to focus more on face-to-face interactions rather than feeling like she’s living on her phone.

She said she has not yet narrowed her February resolutions list down.

While these students have made and stuck to their resolutions so far this year, some said waiting for a new year to make a change is not always the best idea.

“I think that if you really want to do it, you shouldn’t wait around,” Nau said. “If it’s something that you actually want to do, it shouldn’t be pushed off. It doesn’t matter what time of year it is; you can always start whenever you’d like.”

Rawls also said there is no need to set a specific date to start changing, but he understands why some people prefer it.

“You don’t have to wait for a whole new year to become a better person or anything like that, but on the other hand people feel like a fresh start is exactly what they need,” he said.

Peart said people should be able to start their goals whenever they set them.

“My goal kind of just happened at the beginning of this year,” she said. “I was like, ‘I need to do this,’ and that’s when I started.”

Nevius said that while she thinks the idea of a New Year’s resolution is cliché, she understands why.

“As humans, we have emotions and we get attached and whenever you are able to reflect on the year before, that new year is when that all happens,” she said. “It means more whenever you start to look at where you were and where you want to be. Yeah it may be cliché, but we can’t help it.”

As for those who need more motivation sticking to their goals, Nevius said getting a group of like-minded people together to hold each other accountable is a good way to stick to resolutions.

“Get a group of people that you know have the same goals and end game to keep you accountable and then that can definitely help you stay on track and push you,” Nevius said. “Keeping people accountable and being in bigger groups definitely helps and pushes everybody that’s trying to reach the goal and I feel like that would help a lot.”

 

Hannah Shillo can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].