Maria Tsevdos '26
The new year means a new beginning, and many take this time to formulate their New Year's resolutions. According to a survey from Statista, these usually contain fitness as the most popular and eating healthy trailing as a close second. Self improvement is very present in New Year’s resolutions. From being organized to living life to the fullest, living a healthier life is ever present, and ever popular.
I made a survey asking the students of Fontbonne what their New Year’s resolution is, and provided them with six choices, as well as an “other” option. Starting from the bottom, 2.1% percent of students checked off the “other” button. These resolutions are similar to a theme of being the best a person can be, and living life to the fullest. Several students want to be a better athlete, or focus on being more positive.
Next up, 20% of students reported that they do not have a new year’s resolution. This is not too surprising as 40% of people do not make resolutions. While many start out the year on an upbeat note, 23% simply do not stick to their goals.
In a tie for not having a resolution, 20% of students also said they want to cut back on screen time. This goal also appeared for 20% of Americans, not only in 2023, but in 2022, 2021, and 2020. This goal is hard to keep up, and many that checked it off may fall into the 23% of not sticking to their goals.
In keeping with the living life to the fullest theme, 33% of the school answered for learning a new hobby or skill. This hold’s fourth place. In regards to resolution, learning a new skill is not surprising, but it does not appear on the top ten resolutions.
At 37%, and highly expected, both in the country and at Fontbonne, was to save more money and spend less. This resolution has around the same percentage in other surveys, and is also difficult to keep up. The only thing certain is that saving and spending will appear on 2024’s resolution list. Saving more and spending less holds third place.
This next goal lost first place by only six percent. This resolution is number one in the USA, has been since 2020, and it is exercising more and focusing on fitness. 50% of Fontbonne checked this box off, and so did most Americans. This goal can be both easy, or hard to keep, depending on your enthusiasm and determination. Predictably this goal will most likely hold number one for 2024.
In the first, most chosen and popular resolution at Fontbonne, winning only by six percent will be no surprise to why it holds first, this is after all a school. 56% of students answered that their new year's resolution was school related. This does not make top charts in America overall, but in Fontbonne it obviously does.
In the end many of these goals are shared with millions of other people. That is not to say that some are not unique or interesting. It is common for resolutions to be discarded as the year goes on, but in the end, it will be up to the individual to keep them.
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