Lifestyles

Students make New Year's resolutions

By Jeffery Barwick
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Assistant Editor

Are New Year's resolutions made to begin a fresh start or just because people are expected to make one?

The answer is all of the above. Some people make a New Year's resolution to try to start the year with a fresh start; others do it out of tradition.

Dr. Alberta Johnson, professor of psychology and adviser of Psi Beta, the national honor society for psychology, said that it is important to set goals since that is how we improve ourselves, but the problem is some people set unrealistic goals.

The chance of success solely depends upon the practicality of the resolution.

According to Johnson, many people set goals that are unrealistic. To be successful first you have to set a goal that is reasonable, then lay it out on a calendar and make a timeline of steps with the ultimate goal at the end.

"It is important to set goals, but it doesn't have to be at the beginning of the new year. There is always opportunity for self-improvement, and it is important to take advantage of the opportunity for self-improvement when one arises," said Johnson.

Johnson gave the following example.

A student wants to exercise but cannot find the motivation. Then that student meets another person saying that he or she is going to start walking every day between classes. That is the perfect time to take advantage of the opportunity for self-improvement.

Johnson encourages students to have their eyes open and recognize opportunities when they come along.