[ot-caption title=”New Year’s Resolutions 2016–Training for a (Netflix) Marathon” by Leah Simon, junior”]

Even before the ball drops and the fireworks are launched, people across the country are making plans for next year. Both young and old, many dream of how they can improve themselves. Some people want to be a little kinder, gentler, smarter, and most popularly, skinnier. They may post it on Instagram and Facebook or just tell those closest to them, but the majority of people have a plan. Before the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, people around the country are putting the finishing touches on their New Year’s resolutions.

Perhaps it is America’s obsession with achievement, but many people in this country believe that with a little hard work and dedication, they can be a better version of themselves. The new year gives people a clean break and a chance to reinvent themselves.

It all starts on January 1st with a New Year’s resolution and a commitment to making it happen. New Year’s resolutions come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from getting organized to the most popular: losing weight. The students at Pine Crest are no different. There are more than eight hundred students currently enrolled in the Pine Crest Upper School, and there were likely more than eight hundred New Year’s resolutions.

Hailey Weinberg, a Pine Crest senior, shared her resolution. “This year, my resolution is to eat healthier and cut down on processed foods.” Although according to Hailey, that was also her resolution last year “but that did not work out too well.” PC junior Matt Fine, on the other hand, had a different kind of resolution. “I don’t remember my resolution from last year, but this year I want to be one hundred percent honest.”

Even with the best intentions, the statistics are grim. In fact, most people spend more time dreaming up their New Year’s resolutions than actually practicing them. According to studies, only eight percent of people successfully achieve their goals. Maybe it is the bright lights of Dunkin Donuts or the stress of school and work, but either way, most Americans are doomed to a year full of broken resolutions.  Perhaps the Pine Crest community will fulfill their resolutions this year with that PC attitude of hard work and determination.  

Source: Statistic Brain Research Institute