PAGE 12 || OPINION
NEW YEAR, NEW ME?
Why the New Year is clichè
ALEX GLASPIE
STAFF WRITER
With Christmas comes the New Year, and with the New Year comes a million Instagram
and Twitter posts captioned, “New Year, New Me.” Suburban mothers flood onto Facebook
to speak about how they plan on being better mothers to their already spoiled children.
Now here’s the thing: I don’t have a problem with the New Year. Even I appreciate yelling
at the top of my lungs, “Happy New Year!” at my uncle’s house while all the married couples
kiss to ring in January, and their children, including me, groan in disgust. However, I strongly
believe that the celebration is extremely overdone.
I can’t wait to host parties when I get older, watch the ball drop with my friends and
drink a toast to celebrate the upcoming year. Everyone wants to party on New Year’s and
make resolutions, but is it really worth it?
To be completely honest, any New Year resolution I try to accomplish ends up getting
shoved under a rug about a week into January, the most popular being the resolution to eat
healthier, work out more often and become a healthier version of myself.
Although I’ve seen resolutions come true and people start to become who they sought to
be in their lives, it’s never worked out for me. Not only can I never accomplish anything I
set out to during New Year’s, but I end up feeling worse after I can’t finish what I started.
This debacle that I get myself into every year makes for a terrible start to the year, and I
always feel bad about myself after it’s over.
This might be a “too much information” moment, but every year, I end up crying
myself to sleep because, according to myself, I will never be happier and kinder than I
already am. I definitely look down on myself for this, because I shouldn’t spend time being
mad at myself for not becoming who I want to be. Instead, I should continue to try to
accomplish my goals.
In order to help myself feel better after that glittery ball drops to zero, I refuse to make
any New Year’s resolutions for the sole fact that they are foolish. I bet I’m not the only one
who thinks this, either.
However, I’m not here to discourage those who make New Year’s resolutions. If you
do, go for it! I believe in you wholeheartedly, whether your resolution is to get better
grades, to lose weight, to donate to charity or to become friendlier to people.
Becoming a better person is something that everyone should strive for, but dedicating
a holiday to bettering yourself is not efficient enough. Instead of making a massive
resolution once a year, try to make more meaningful ones as the year goes on. Make
resolutions every month. Strive to be a more open, forgiving and kind soul on a regular
basis, and trust me, you won’t regret it.
COMIC: NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
M. CONNER ARESENAULT
STAFF WRITER
My new year resolution is that,
I want to see my friends more and try to be
more positive, but also watch my weight
and eat less processed sugars but I cant give
I’m just
up soda, also I was planning on going to the trying to raise my GPA.
gymn more and get into better shape,
like how I was in 2012, that was a good
year. Oh! And I want to go bowling
more and find a new hobby to
keep me busy when I have free time.
because Im going to be so free this year
THE TALON || DECEMBER 2018
Resolutions help you reflect, grow
MARIAM HANNA
LIFESTYLES AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Growing up, I have always made New Year’s resolutions. I remember sitting down with
my parents and thinking about what I want to accomplish for the year to come. For as long
as I can remember, I have enjoyed planning everything to the smallest detail, and the best
way to begin planning something is to make a list of goals. This plays a significant role in
why I believe in making resolutions. Although an increasing number of individuals around
the world have decided to stop making New Year’s resolutions, writing out my goals for the
upcoming year is something I will continue to do for the future.
Making New Year’s resolutions is a good way to look back and reflect at the ending year.
For me, 2018 has been full of both beautiful moments and extremely difficult ones, and I
have learned so much from it. When I write out my goals for 2019, I get the opportunity to
think about what I have accomplished in 2018 and how I have changed as a person. I then
am able to write resolutions for the upcoming year based on what I believe I did wrong and
what I would like to continue doing right.
Having New Year’s resolutions keeps me on track for the year to come. By knowing
what I want to accomplish physically, mentally and emotionally, I am able to be more
organized and ready to get a step closer to the person I want to become. Some people say
that resolutions bring them down, and if that’s what they do to you, then, by all means, do
not make resolutions! However, the opposite is true for me. I like them because they outline
a plan on how that year is going to look and how to reach my goals, and this motivates me.
I do not think I have ever accomplished all my resolutions, and that is totally fine! For me,
though, having a few resolutions instantly makes me want to try something for the year
ahead— it gives me that push of inspiration that so many of us lack these days because of
school, sports, and our tiring and busy lives.
Here’s the thing I think many people believe about resolutions and makes them against
the idea of new goals for the new year: resolutions make people think they need to change.
This is absolutely untrue. Everyone is perfect in his or her own way, and as cliche as that
seems, it’s incredibly accurate. In my opinion, resolutions are not a way to force yourself to
be different, but a method to make yourself happier and to better yourself. Instead of your
goal being to get all As, for example, it can be to work even harder to get better grades. If
making New Year’s resolutions causes you to feel bad about yourself, then do not make them.
But, if you are like me and New Year’s resolutions motivate you, then start writing yours!
Next year I really want to start
biking agian and maybe finish this
movie I’ve been writing, when
I do that I’ve always wanted to go to
some place tropical and try to
waterboard agian and I’m thinking
that I really want to bring my
old band back together because we
totally rocked the block back then
we also used to always go to
the movies together so I
really want to see more
movies next year