As we greet farewell to 2020, 2021 has proceeded with a combination of new challenges and hopes. Many individuals in the Lebanon Trail community have decided to participate in the activity of writing new year goals this year in hopes of a better year ahead. 

Junior Kaavya Jampana said that having a new year goal gives one something to look forward to and something to constantly work towards. 

“Personally, I find that New Year’s resolutions provide me some stability as I find it continually guiding me down the right path. “ Jampana said. 

With that idea in mind, Jampana adequately set her goal for 2021 to be narrowing down what career path she wants to take because it makes her feel more confident about what classes and extracurriculars she could do in the future. 

“It was really important for me to make this resolution because I am someone who will put decisions like these off to the side all the time,” Jampana said. “However, I have learned that I don’t need to make my final decision right now, but rather I should come to a collective understanding of which path I should take. “ 

Other than creating new year goals, accomplishing them is also an important part of new year resolutions. 

Sophomore Isabella Liu said she was not able to achieve some of her goals in the past few years because she tends to forget about those goals after not thinking about them for a time period. 

“This is something I don’t want to let happen this year,” Liu said. “Some suggestions I have regarding not forgetting your goals  are to write it down somewhere you can see it everyday as a reminder and to make resolutions that you truly want to accomplish.” 

Additionally, AP Statistics teacher Mr.Lowe said he has recently accomplished his past goals regarding his curriculum writing to benefit him in his professional work as an educator

“ I was to work towards earning a Master’s degree in Mathematics,” Lowe said. “After taking 1 or 2 classes each semester and in the summers, I was able to complete my degree this past December.” 

In conclusion, Mr.Lowe said that goal setting is important for all individuals to help direct the manner in which one would like to improve.

“For any goal setting, if you can ensure that the goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time sensitive, then the opportunity for feeling success in the movement towards that goal is improved,” Mr.Lowe said. “Additionally, if you can work with a community of similar minded individuals, then working towards the goal becomes more manageable.”