With the arrival of 2024, some Warriors are preparing to level-up this new year. Yet, students struggle to narrow down what to improve on and others don’t know how to stick to their resolutions. Below entails some tips for sticking with a resolution, as well as some of the goals of students for this year.
When it comes to resolutions, one 9th grader, Jayden Rossicoe, said that he wants to “try to focus more on school.” He said that to help himself stick to this resolution he is going to get a planner for “writing out the assignment that (he has) to do.” Jayden wants to use a planner to stay organized and keep his work on track. Another student, Emilia Vadnais, agrees in saying that she wants to “be more organized” and even “invest in an agenda.” Similarly, Southern New Hampshire Health says that one tip for keeping a resolution is to “set reminders on your calendar, phone, or computer” to encourage the revisiting of a goal.
Another important factor in sticking to a resolution is keeping motivation. One way this can be done is through a vision board. According to ABC News, “vision boards are an increasingly popular tool for clarifying those goals and providing a boost of inspiration.” The reason vison boards work is because “our brain tends to assign higher value to images than written words.” This results in the brain prioritizing the goals on a vision board, rather than a list of goals.
Additionally, breaking a big goal into smaller steps can help the process become more manageable and less overwhelming. Havard Health Publishing says that “just getting to first base can build your confidence to tackle- and succeed at- more difficult tasks.” Furthermore, Southern New Hampshire Health recommends focusing “on a specific aspect of your goal each month” to make goals more manageable and “build momentum throughout the year.”
Moreover, it can be helpful to reward the completion of small goals. Tenth grader Emilia Vadnais says that she plans on using this method to reach her New Year’s resolution and will reward herself “for doing good every few weeks.” By receiving a small prize for any accomplishments, you activate your brain’s reward system. According to the National Library of Medicine, the reward system “is composed of brain structures that are responsible for mediating the phycological and cognitive processing of reward,” which allows the brain to associate “diverse stimuli… with a positive or desirable outcome.” When using the reward system, the brain releases dopamine, which gives a positive association to the task being completed and can be used to encourage people to complete their goals.
Thus, with a combination of organization, planning, a visual stimulus, breaking down goals, and creating a positive mental link with the completion of goals, students are sure to carry out their resolutions for 2024.