Following the recent arrival of the new year, the phrase “New Year, New Me” has resurfaced, a concept that tends to resonate with people as they reflect on their past year and consider areas for growth. It has become popularized across modern culture through various advertisements along with social media. The phrase is often ridiculed because it seems to propose that you can reinvent yourself overnight; however, I believe the saying has substance and is something that can be used as motivation for achieving goals. 

   “[The new year is] where you can change things about yourself that you have been wanting to change and have a new mindset,” said sophomore Eila Kakkar. “It doesn’t have to be a change of personality; it can just be ‘I want to make my bed in the morning.’”

   On the other hand, many think that the self-betterment assumed to happen following January 1, rather than at any other point in the year, is impractical. Even though it is a fair argument, I also agree that there are benefits to making a change at a definitive starting point with 12 months ahead. 

   “It’s a great way to restart, and the motivation is that there’s a lot of people around me who also are trying to do new things,” said junior Cleveland Quezada. 

   Many WHS students, including me, are balancing academics with countless extracurriculars that can make it hard to find time to make changes in our lives. I see the new year as a chance to pursue something new or revisit a goal I haven’t found time for before, and I’m not alone in this thinking. 

   “I wanted to start learning how to play guitar,” said senior Laila James. “I got one last Christmas and I told myself I was going to play it, but it didn’t really happen. I want to try to learn how to play the guitar before college.”

   There are others who use the new year to pay more attention to health and well being. 

   “Fitness is one of the most common goals at the beginning of the year, there’s a lot of sales for gym memberships and that is just a big call for a lot of people,” said sophomore Darya Serov.

   I find that staying active is especially important during winter months when it’s hard to get exercise outside, making these goals both helpful and practical. 

   Even though I always try to finish the things I start, sometimes they can become tedious or difficult to achieve. I’ve seen others have the same struggle to follow through and stick to their resolutions as the year goes on. 

   “People say [theirs] and they end up giving up after two days, “ said senior Nico Salgado. 

   Social media amplifies this effect. While videos of resolutions can provide ideas, I find that they can also create pressure and lead to discouragement. In many ways, it contributes to the stigma around what I think is, at heart, an opportunity for personal growth. 

   “Social media can be positive because it might inspire you to start [a resolution], but it could also be negative, because everyone’s way of doing things in life is different,” said Kakkar. “If you want to replicate what someone else is doing, it might not go the way you wanted it to.”

   Despite any negatives, I view the new year as a point when anything is possible. It is an opportunity that many people use to envision what they want to accomplish. 

   “I have goals in dance, to try new foods, and travel to new places,” said freshman Abbey Ocampo.

   In my opinion, the real struggle comes when people make overly ambitious goals without a plan. I have found it’s important to be realistic as you know yourself best and what you can successfully complete.

   “Instead of trying to jump into some huge major life change, try just incorporating small things into your daily routine,” said math teacher Erin Lordan.

   From observation, I have seen that self-improvement can be incorporated into people’s lives, and not everyone experiences it in the same way. 

   “I think people who don’t want to change or don’t have the discipline or motivation to change will do ‘New Year, New Me’ because it’s a ‘thing,’” said senior Jamie Lundberg. “People who actually want to change might say, ‘I’m really busy right now, but I’ll do it for the new year,’ and there’s some people who want to change and just change without care for the new year.” 

   The value doesn’t always lie with completing resolutions, but I feel that it is important to take time for internal reflection.

   “I think it’s a cliche, but even if you don’t follow through, just thinking about what you would want to do with yourself can help you know in your mind what you want to achieve,” said James. 

   In the end, I think that the determining factor in your ability to make “New Year, New Me” happen is how you frame it. Viewing it as a meaningless phrase is going to result in struggling to make progress, but seeing it as an opportunity to try something new or start a good habit, can put you on a path to success. 

   “Think of it as a better version of you, not a new version of you,” said Serov.