Did you make a New Year’s Resolution this year? This year, many students responded to a poll sharing their goals and resolutions for 2021.

One of the questions sent out on the form was asking if students even had a new years resolution. 89% of students who took part in the survey, marked “Yes” for having a New year’s resolution, while the other 11% of the students marked “No.”

Some of the most common resolutions shared were along the lines of: getting better sleep, spending more time outdoors, or drinking more water. There were also many resolutions surrounding the idea of being a better person. For example, dedicating at least ten hours to community service and focusing more on self-care.

Students were also asked if their goals were affected by COVID-19. 58% of the respondents marked “No” when asked if their resolutions were influenced by the virus. Given that we are under different circumstances this year, it is not unusual that some people choose their resolutions to revolve around the COVID-19 pandemic.

Statistics show that on average 50% of the U.S. Citizens make New Year’s Resolutions (Western Connecticut Health) However, research also shows that less than ten percent of Americans actually keep their resolutions, and tend to break them within the first couple of months of the new year. It is proven that most resolutions are based on breaking old habits or focused on creating new better habits. People make New Year’s Resolutions to start over(Western Connecticut Health). To help them start fresh, they give themself goals that they vow to challenge themselves to do over the course of the new year.

New Years is a good time to take a deep breath and re familiarize yourself with everything going on around you. By making goals or resolutions for the coming year, you are most likely setting yourself up for success, based on your resolution(s). So now is the time to challenge yourself!