As the new year begins, many people create resolutions with the hope that they will become better versions of themselves. These goals often focus on school, family, health, or personal habits, and they are usually set with strong motivation and optimism. However, as the year goes on, reality, stress, and everyday responsibilities can make those resolutions difficult to maintain. By looking back at last year’s resolutions, it becomes clear that success is not always measured by completion, but by how the effort to change shapes a person’s growth and self-understanding.
I wanted to see which of last year’s resolutions people kept or didn’t, and how their success or failures changed who they have become now. I interviewed five people who were a diverse group, no matter physicality or ethnically. I asked the same questions to each person: Do you remember your last year, new year’s resolution? Did you fail or succeed in those things? How did that change you this year?. They all gave school related / home related / and self-related tasks they wanted to do better on or get rid of.
It seems like there is never a perfect answer; there is always a mix. People seem to start off the year very focused on these goals, doing their best to make it work.
“I think it was successful from the beginning and then after one time I got lazy. “- Jane Doe
As the year gets to the middle, they slowly fall off from their goals due to stress like schoolwork and family life. Once the year has almost passed, most of them have already given up on most of their work and left it behind. They put themselves to a realistic goal and sometimes too much of a goal that they can’t reach.
Some people had to come to the fact that they weren’t going to get as close to their family as they hoped; they weren’t going to be able to be as organized as they would like to be, and they weren’t going to be able to hit the gym every day; “My last year’s New Year’s resolution was to spend more time with my family. It was a failure.” Honestly, that made them stronger; it made them want to try harder and helped them to realize things they never did before; “It encouraged me to find MY family and find more friends.” In the end it helped shape them to be the people they are this year, and they can’t wait for next year so they can repeat and do the same thing again. It wasn’t just about the resolutions but the striving for personal growth.
This shows that New Year’s resolutions are not just about success or failure, but about growth and understanding oneself better. Even when people did not fully achieve their goals, the experience still impacted how they think and act now. Many realized their limits, learned what realistically works for them, and became more aware of how stress and daily life affect their motivation. In the end, resolutions may fade over time, but they still play a role in shaping who people become and how they approach future goals.
