As the year comes to a close, many of us have been thinking up some New Year’s resolutions. Whether that be personal or professional ambitions, now is the time to set goals for the future. New Year’s resolutions offer a great opportunity for self reflection and personal growth. Most people set these goals with good intentions but fail to follow through with them. Oftentimes these ambitious resolutions get forgotten within only a few weeks. 

If the general public were to follow through with their new year’s resolutions and actively try to maintain them, then I think that they are a worthwhile endeavor. Otherwise, that is if they are disregarded or ignored, then I would say that they are a complete waste of time. If one does not plan on following through, then they might as well not make any resolutions in the first place. 

One of my personal resolutions for the coming year is to become a better chef. I am a foodie and also a big fan of cooking, which led me to make this resolution. I plan on sticking to the schedule of finding one delicious new recipe every week. 

Another resolution I have is to commit to a healthier sleep schedule. I have a habit of going to bed far too late, which makes me fatigued at school. I hope to get at least an average of two more hours of sleep every night. 

I believe that we all have some room for improvement and can use this time to try and be our best selves. Even if you feel that your life is perfect in every way, sit down and try to think of some areas that need some work. Self reflection is a great way to improve mental health and can serve as a great method for personal growth. This is also a good way to stay humble and accept that nobody is actually perfect.

In some serious cases, New Year’s resolutions can be toxic. Many people can be very self critical which could lead to some fairly extreme resolutions. Being too critical of yourself is not helpful and can damage self esteem. Resolutions are meant to act as constructive criticism, not as self deprecation. 

For this coming year, everyone should take a crack at making some new year’s resolutions. In the spirit of self improvement, I encourage a little introspection here and there so we can all become better people.