Kristen Arms

Columnist

I am skeptical about resolutions. I believe if I want something to change in my life, I should do it right away instead of waiting for an excuse such as a new year. Still, there is something inspiring about a year ending to make way for a fresh start, and I’m completely on board with that.

My main focus for 2017 is mindfulness. I see mindfulness as something that affects many different areas of my life. If I’m in class or working on something, being in the moment and giving the task my full attention will help it progress more quickly and seem less like I’ve been working on something for four hours when in reality I’ve actually looked at it for about 10 minutes altogether in between texting friends.

Students spend one-fifth of class time on technology doing things unrelated to schoolwork, according to a January 2016 study by the Journal of Media Education.

My friend describes mindfulness as entering every situation like an empty sponge: absorbing everything around me, taking it in and appreciating it; then wringing out the sponge and going into the next thing completely blank all over again. It takes practice, but it’s my goal to try it.

This resolution can help many students make the most of their classes and activities, as well as help them begin appreciating that their college years are the time to enjoy themselves and not get caught up in the past or future to the point of stressing.

Mackenzie Meadows

Columnist

It is the time of year for corrections, to fix what last year broke, to lose what last year gained and perhaps to forget what last year remembers. Each new year people are driven to make a change. The new year brings promise. It brings a new beginning, so it’s only normal that people want to be the best versions of themselves and make a resolution.

The resolutioners pick something that they promise they will get rid of, change or become. I think it’s disappointing that someone only feels strong enough one time a year to be able to make such a life altering change.

If someone wants to lose weight or end a toxic relationship, or any of the other countless popular resolutions, that person should start now—do it for the benefit now and don’t let the promise of a new year ignite the flame; ignite it. And for those who do chose a resolution, many of them don’t follow through past February.

An LA Fitness in Springfield has increased its membership count rapidly since Thanksgiving and is prepared for a steep decrease in the coming months as people lose their momentum, according to a Jan. 1 Fox Illinois News article. I don’t believe if a person wanted to make a change another time a year, they would for sure follow through.

However, I’d like to think if someone did something just for themselves and not for a specific time of year they would feel a much stronger benefit.

Brooklynn Harper

Columnist

Self-improvement is always a good idea, but New Year’s resolutions are not. Only 8 percent of people actually stick to the promises they make at the start of the year and most give up on their goals after just one week, according to Dec. 30, 2013 TIME article.

The truth of the matter is that if a person needs an excuse such as a new year to make a change, they’re likely not committed enough to make the change. Beyond this, associating change with Jan. 1 is bad because then failing can lead to waiting an entire year to try again. Working toward a goal successfully doesn’t start in the future or on the first of the year; it starts now, today.

A New Year’s resolution will rarely result in the improved self that people hope for and post on social media about. To really change oneself, progress toward goals should begin immediately and should be inspired by a true desire for and commitment to change rather than by a new year.

Ian Tancun

Columnist

New Year’s resolutions are pointless proclamations of empty promises that people vow to fulfill in the upcoming year. With that said, I consistently make resolutions at the start of each year. My resolutions are similar from year to year, which omits my assertion that they are empty promises.

Typically, my resolution is to drop a few pounds and exercise more. Losing weight and eating healthier were tied as the second most commonly made New Year’s resolution this year, according to a Dec. 22 Marist poll.

For 2017, however, I opted to go a different route: making a resolution that will be incredibly beneficial if I see it through. My resolution for this year is to be more patient – in all aspects of my life.

Patience is not a virtue I currently possess. When something needs to be done, I want it done yesterday. This is something I fully intend to work on in the upcoming year.

Being a better person was the most frequently cited New Year’s resolution this year, according to the poll. Being a more patient person goes hand-in-hand with being a better person.

Having been a New Year’s resolution skeptic in the past, I am determined to see this resolution through this year. With all the changes 2017 will bring, there is perhaps no better year to put my resolution to the test.