This is a guest post written by Folasade Lapite. I know a lot of readers have teenagers (or teenaged grandchildren). I thought this article could be helpful for them. A lot of this information could apply toward adults too.
New Year’s Resolution. Whenever hearing those three simple words everyone starts to write lists. Not just the ordinary daily to-do list, but lists that seem will take an eternity to conquer. These “New Year’s Resolutions” then morph into a nagging duty rather than a goal people set for themselves. Why? Because there are so many changes one wants to see, but who has time! Well for teenagers, it is no different. However, this simple little tradition can cause havoc in the mind of teens or can be the perfect remedy to improve their life!
Well, anyone can create a few resolutions. Everyone begins full force to achieve those resolutions. However, only a few will get legitimate results. Why? It is all in the execution people take. Some teenagers might want to improve their grades, while others might want to commit more to their extracurricular to build up their resumes. However, a lot of teenagers have tight schedules already without these goals. The average high school day has its toll on the average student—learning for about eight hours and then having to commit two or more (mostly more) to a random array of assignments. After finishing the “student life,” there are extracurricular, then where is the time to execute one’s New Year’s resolutions? Well, teens might think it was easy the first week; however, during that first week there was a major difference: NO SCHOOL.
Time Management: Time is a major factor in planning and doing a resolution. Teens have to remember that when beginning school again that maybe they can’t commit 4 hours at the gym to get those “washboard abs”. Time is a crucial factor that can bring anyone to reality that they won’t get any resolutions accomplished. Therefore, one has to “play by the rules” and do things that a practical and feasible to his or hers high school schedule.
Deadline: One flaw to the “New Year’s Resolution” is that no one ever thinks of how long his or her “time frame” is. Let’s say one wants to save up about $1,000 from their part-time job. However, how long is one saving for: the whole year or a set deadline? The deadline can be a great way to help push one’s determination in the right direction. Deadlines practically force one to complete his or her resolution because they cannot keep pushing it off.
Life Changers: Resolutions don’t have to be something drastic either. The best kinds are the ones easy to enact and can lead to “healthy habits.” For example: trying to eat five servings of fruit a day. Why not have a few easy resolutions that are not only beneficial but also can raise one’s spirits since one is actually completing his/her resolutions!
Teens are not the only ones victimized by New Year’s Resolutions. However, with their busy schedules, it becomes hectic to keep up with these goals. Having in mind what is feasible/practical in one’s personal schedule it leads to more resolutions that will actually be achieved. This can also help people create new habits they would like to see in themselves. Who knows, maybe reading fifteen minutes a night! However it plays out, new year’s resolutions are suppose to be goals one sets ahead of themselves to achieve. Rather than creating something that seems will be factitious later on, these new years resolutions are for fun. Therefore, this year when jumping back into the swing of school don’t let it be the things that makes one high stress.
This article was written by Folasade Lapite.
*The opinions expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect my own.
joni says
My teen and I signed up at a gym and will start exercising together for the new year. This was my idea and she was all for it. Better health and quality time together.