Face-to-Face is a feature that allows two members of the Redwood Community to grill each other, argue, or simply converse about a relevant issue or event. We provide the topic, and they do the rest. This month’s participants are seniors Ally van Dorsten and Jaclyn Alvarado. They discuss the relevance and importance of New Year’s Resolutions.
New Year’s resolutions can help people set goals, but at the same time, it can be very discouraging if a person isn’t able to stick to these goals. Do you think it is beneficial to make New Year’s resolutions?
AVD: I always think it’s a good idea just to set goals for yourself, and whether you follow through with them or not, that’s on you. At least by by setting a goal, you’re starting―and starting is better than not doing anything at all because you think you’re not going to follow through.
JA: I feel like setting New Year’s resolutions is not a good idea because people set very high standards for themselves thinking they’ll have a year to do it, and they end up not achieving the goals they set.
Do you think that people generally set reasonable goals as their New Year’s resolutions?
AVD: From a personal standpoint, I try to set reasonable goals, but I definitely know that some people don’t. But again, a goal is a goal and if you have high standards for yourself and you want to do big things, you have to set those goals to be able to do it.
JA: People think ‘new year, new me’ and they’re like ‘I have all year to achieve this goal’ [so] they set very high standards for themselves. Personally, you could set a goal for yourself that you know you could achieve, but sometimes people think they’re going to change overnight and be a new person in the new year, [so they] set goals that are not attainable.
Do you think that New Year’s resolutions just give people false hope for the upcoming year?
AVD: I don’t. I think that if it is really that important to you, you’ll stick to it. If you really think that you want to improve your grades or make new friends or exercise more then you’ll get it done.
JA: I think it’s very positive because you want to achieve these goals and I think that’s a good thing. You can try your hardest so I guess the only false hope would be if you let yourself down.
What is the biggest upside or biggest downside to making a New Year’s resolution?
AVD: For me, the biggest upside is that I’m motivated and I’m excited. I set this new goal for myself. Even if it doesn’t work out later on in the year, at least I have something to look forward to or something to really work hard for and it makes me motivated. Again, it might not last, but at least it gives you something to try to achieve.
JA: I think the biggest downside would just be letting yourself down. You go into the new year being positive, but then you end up letting yourself down and that can turn into having a negative start to the year. You also change as a person throughout the year so your goals might differ by the time August or December comes around.
Is New Year’s the only time to make a resolution?
JA: No, I think that you have the opportunity all year because your life might change throughout the year. You might meet new people or pick up a new hobby or start a new activity that you can set goals for. Especially for people at school, if they start a new sport in the spring, [they] can set a goal for themselves to get better at the sport throughout the year.
AVD: No, I think that any time is a good time, but New Year’s is just an easier time. I think [New Year’s] is a good reason, but I don’t think that it is the only time to do it.
Which resolutions have been successful for you or people you know?
JA: Some of my friends’ New Year’s resolutions are to eat healthier or to exercise more. If you set little goals like that, they’re more achievable.
AVD: My best [resolutions] are ones that aren’t the final goal I’m looking for but a step in the right direction. If I want to improve my grades, I say I’m not going to use my phone while I’m doing my math homework and then, eventually, my grades get better! If I want to start exercising more, I’m going to work out once a week.
