New Year’s resolutions may come to mind as the calendar turns to January, but the initial burst of motivation to improve or set new goals can quickly lose momentum as the months pass. Still, an abandoned goal doesn’t have to mean defeat. Summer can offer a fresh opportunity to reflect, reset and restart with renewed focus.

   To some, resolutions can be seen as ways to track activity, while others view them as year-long goals.

   “I kind of look at New Year’s resolutions as benchmarks for me to meet in the upcoming year or anything I want to accomplish,” Walnut Grove High School sophomore Bonnie Wei said.

   One might use New Year’s resolutions to discover fresh ways to keep one’s routine healthy and meaningful.

   “They’re trying to find ways to better themselves, to find new ways that can change their lifestyle for good or how they’ve been living for the past couple of years,” Wei said.

   When setting resolutions and planning how to achieve them, one could be discouraged by negative self-talk caused by comparisons online.

   “I definitely feel like social media gives you an unrealistic expectation, which is not good, but talking down on yourself is just further telling yourself that you can’t be able to do it,” Wei said. “You’re hindering your abilities, and you’re really underestimating yourself.”

   A lack of self-discipline may lead one to quit an objective early.

   “If you get [into] the habit of setting a goal just to give up halfway through the year, I definitely feel like you condition yourself to give up whenever it feels too hard in the middle of the year,” Wei said.

   Another reason to quit resolutions early is due to overcommitting to too many changes at once.

   “I feel like trying to force themselves into a new habit is just as difficult, if not harder, to break a habit,” Wei said. “People build goals that they can’t reach, and they set goals that are too far ahead of them … I think that people try too hard at the start to try and achieve their goals … they try to take a huge leap forward when that’s really not the best way to approach it.”

   Emotional pressure can make it more difficult for one to maintain a resolution, specifically when the goal involves unfamiliar habits or high expectations.

   “When people set a goal for something they’ve never done before, I definitely feel like that gives some pressure that creates stress,” Wei said. “There’s two types of different stress. It could be good stress, which motivates you to get things done, or bad stress, which affects your physical and mental health. When [people] get overwhelmed, procrastination often arises from that.”

   While many New Year’s resolutions can fade due to high-running emotions, unrealistic expectations and overwhelming pressure, that doesn’t mean they are lost forever. Goals can still be restarted. For example, one can start smaller to ease into a resolution with less pressure.

   “I would set a goal for yourself that you know [you] can accomplish with however many months of the year left,” Wei said. “Start with steps that are smaller, that are more attainable, just a little bit per day instead of a huge chunk in a short amount of time. Encourage yourself to slowly work towards it.” 

   Looking beyond short-term setbacks and keeping long-term goals in mind can help one stay committed.

   “It’s good practice to focus on progress, not perfection,” Nixa High School family and consumer sciences teacher Stephanie Pycior said. “Think about what the big picture is. Focus on what you really want, more than what you want now.”

   Setting resolutions with one’s time management abilities in mind or creating a reward system can help one stay motivated.

   “Set a goal specifically that fits your summer schedule,” Pycior said. “[Summer is] the perfect time to start a new habit or routine. Think about how you can reward yourself, maybe it’s a new pair of shoes, or seeing a movie you want to see.”

   After early motivation fades and routines fall flat, the decision to keep trying can lead to rewards.

   “Tomorrow is always a fresh new start,” Pycior said. “It’s okay to slip and restart, everyone does that. Embrace the failures and grow from them. It makes you stronger.”