The culture of New Year’s resolutions

February check-in with USD students

Anna Valaik / A&C Section Editor

For many people, all focus turns to New Year’s once Christmas and other holiday festivities pass. People everywhere bid farewell to the year ending and celebrate a brand new 365 days on the horizon. It’s a time to reminisce on the past while dreaming about and planning for the future. Many would agree this past New Year’s celebration was unlike any they have experienced before. 2020 presented the world with a global pandemic, and these incredible challenges left a lasting impact. For some, 2020 was spent with family and loved ones; it gave people an opportunity to focus on their mental health, discover a new hobby, or simply take a break from a busy schedule. For others, 2020 meant losing loved ones, wondering when the next paycheck would come in, or dealing with difficult home lives.

In a year of chaos and too many unanswered questions, many gladly left 2020 behind.  USD students shared their outlook on 2021, and whether they believed in New Year’s resolutions.

AJ Dinsmore, a senior and soon-to-be graduate, set a specific intention for 2021, even though she is not a huge fan of New Year’s resolutions.

“I made an intention to take 15 minutes to myself every day and listen to a motivational podcast while I walk on the bay,” Dinsmore said. “I’ve learned to love this time and I actually look forward to it. I’m also running a lot more, and with the help of my new running shoes, it’s been going great.”

Dinsmore felt her resolutions were not affected by the pandemic because she had time to make realistic goals. 

“I can’t exactly make a resolution to travel more and meet new people, but I can continue to prioritize my mental and physical health during this time,” Dinsmore said.

Like many, Dinsmore believed 2021 was meant for looking inward in order to continue bettering herself. She realized it was important to be realistic with her resolutions considering the circumstances she is living in. By setting manageable intentions, she put less pressure on herself, and there was less room for disappointment. 

Paulina Oles, a junior, shared a similar desire to take the pressure away from ringing in the New Year. She put her own special twist on New Year’s resolutions a few years ago. Instead of doing New Year’s resolutions, she makes birthday resolutions every year. By shifting the focus to her birthday, she centers goals around her specific age. So, for her 21st year on Earth, which she celebrated this past October, she set a few intentions.

“Some of the resolutions I set for being 21 were to prioritize my happiness, give back to my community on the 21st of every month, and be more intentional with where I am placing my energy,” Oles said.

Oles was happy to report she’s been keeping up with her goals, even though the pandemic has altered the way in which she prioritizes herself and her health.

“One of the ways I find happiness is through hot yoga, and since many yoga studios are not open or have a limited number of customers, it can be difficult to find a way to practice yoga in the heat,” Oles said. “I think it’s important to still find ways to make yourself happy and prioritize mental health, especially with the pandemic.”

Oles’ positive attitude keeps her going, which she has found especially important during such stressful and negative times in the world. 

Similarly, Jack Tice, a senior, has found a renewed sense of peace amongst the chaos within resolutions, something he used to never believe in.

“If you asked me a couple years ago I would say New Year’s resolutions were mainly just functions to ease our conscience and that people would create goals far out of their reach,” Tice said. “Now I would say resolutions are a little different. I think a main focus for many has become how we can improve our lives based on who and what we already have in our immediate surroundings.”

With this new perspective in mind, he found setting intentions for 2021 was necessary.

“The intentions I set for 2021 were to be more forgiving to myself and the people around me,” Tice said. “2020 really taught me more than ever that our immediate experiences are not at all identical.”

For Tice, the pandemic made him that much more appreciative for friendship and fostering deeper connections with others. COVID-19 narrowed his circle of friends, making him grateful to have people who care about him and subsequently are hard on him. He is thankful for his friends because they constantly make sure he is not slacking on what he set out to do.

While Tice valued setting resolutions for the New Year, Belle Suttora, sophomore, on the other hand, has put less pressure on herself for 2021.

“I do believe in New Year’s resolutions and I do think that they work for some people,” Suttora said. “That being said, within the last few years I have given up on setting specific goals. Or rather, I will set goals and view them as guidelines rather than a strict path I must follow.”

In 2021, Suttora wants to form a better relationship with herself, which she has found to be going well thus far, especially because she has not been putting excessive pressure on the goal.

“I think my goal is coming along relatively well in 2021. That being said, I think that part of my success is due to the looseness of my goal,” Suttora said. “I did not set a specific daily, weekly, or monthly goal because I have seen many times in the past that by February I have already failed at achieving the strict New Years Resolutions I have set.”

In many ways, the pandemic shaped Suttora’s 2021 goals because isolation brought out a lot of emotions within her life. She said the pandemic negatively impacted her mental health. Despite this, isolation showed her how crucial it was to work with her inner critic and quiet that voice in her head.

Lastly, Lachlan Eicholzer, a junior, found that setting resolutions was a time to reset and enjoy the spirit of the celebration. This past New Year’s, he dedicated specific time to embracing the holiday.

“I set a few intentions for myself. I actually spent two hours just journaling about the past year and the year that’s coming,” Eicholzer said. “My hope coming into 2021 was to be more flexible, more active, and kinder to myself, and I think I’ve done a good job thus far.”

However, he realizes goals can sometimes be daunting, which many would agree with.

“Like any other goal, New Year’s resolutions should be met with patience, and I allow myself to take off days when I need them,” Eicholzer said. “I used to be very hard on myself when it came to meeting certain goals and expectations, and that attitude truly got me nowhere. That’s where being kinder to myself comes in.”

When it comes to the pandemic shaping his resolutions, he found he shifted them according to what was going on in the world.

“I tried making my goals less about the things I can do and the places I can see, and more about my mental health and personal habits,” Eicholzer said. “This pandemic has given me a lot of alone time, and I think I’m overall more aware of the things I want to work on within myself.”

Whether it be focusing on mental health issues or simply enjoying the outdoors more, New Year’s resolutions and the holiday, in general, celebrates self-improvement. In a year where uncertainty and looking inwards could be extremely difficult, it’s important to remember that sometimes setting goals can be a lot, and that’s fine. Sometimes living in the present and simply surviving is enough, too.