Dear You | New Year's Resolution

1. How Do You Stick To Goals?

Samantha Do: “You can write down lists of goals for the new year but you won’t actually do them unless you have a purpose or passion behind them. The passion has to come from you and not anyone else. People can motivate this goal, but it’s up to you to do it and find happiness through it. Otherwise, it will turn into a chore and not something that improves your life.”

Katie Abhyankar: “Just keep going! And think positive! The more you think negatively, the more you are going to get discouraged, so don’t do that to yourself.”

Adrian Sowul: “Persist.”

Jacob Zaionz: “Take one step at a time, and be proud after making each one. No one wins a thousand-mile race in one step.”

Ethan Rodricks: “Don’t give up. There always gonna be something blocking you from your goal but you gotta push past that.”

Amy Oh: “Find an accountability partner/group! I find that I stick to my goals when I tell them out loud to a friend to make my goal more real.”

Maya Allwardt: “Make stepping stones”

Seun Odusan: “Always keep trying and never give up”

Melanie Woo: “Remember why you wanted to reach those goals in the first place and use that as fuel for when you’re feeling out of it.”

Kaviya Raja: “From my past experience and conducting my research, I have found that these three ways are very helpful in order to stay motivated. First off, you have to start small. No one will be able to achieve anything by taking too big of a job that they are not able to handle. Starting small, and growing from there is best! Second, if you find yourself holding back on a goal, just start working at it as soon as possible. Maybe you are not committed enough, or maybe the goal you want to achieve is not right for you, but if you start right away, it will seem to be easier than you made it out to be in your head. Third, take a little bit of time each day to do something that helps you reach the goal that you have in mind. By doing so, you will feel like you have achieved most of your goal already, and will continue to strive to finish it! As writer Robin Sharma has said, “small daily improvements over time lead to stunning results.” I wish you the best of luck on reaching your goals!”

JJ Hatch: “Keep a goal sheet for you to see”

Amber Huk: “If something is important to you, don’t hesitate to make it happen. There will always be an opportunity cost to joining a new program, taking a new class, or creating a new routine, whether it is time, money, or anything else. Don’t think about the negatives. Focus on the positives, and you will be sure to reach your goals. If something is truly important and beneficial to your health and happiness, then follow its path to your dreams.”

Akanksha Maddi: “Stick to them and do your best! Even if you have setbacks or can’t even reach them, instead of focusing on the problems, think about whether or not you truly have given your all. If you didn’t, then you know what to fix. If you did, then you did your best and that’s all you can strive for.”

Emily Z.: “Set short-term goals and remind yourself why it is you wanted to start in the first place”

Arpitha Krishnakumar: “Set specific, detailed goals and provide incentives for yourself (ex: If I finish a certain number of assignments, I’ll watch an episode of my favorite TV show)”

Aanya Singhal: “Focus on the big picture and why you are working towards your goal. Also, find a buddy who can either keep motivating you or pursue your goal with you.”

Susan Constable: “Write down why you want to achieve the goals. Review the list daily. Put the reasons on post-its and place them around your home. Create a chart for tracking your progress and update it weekly. Share your goals with a friend to help keep you accountable.”