The LTHS community is ready for the winter festivities as Mariah Carey’s iconic song “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is played throughout the halls during passing periods. It is that time of year where students and staff alike reflect on the past year and prepare for the coming of a new one. One tradition that usually takes place in this time is the creation of a New Year’s resolution. 

New Year’s resolutions can be a goal from the past year or they could stem from a long-term goal. Cecilia Tran, a Sophomore, recounts her childhood goal to win a horror game at the popular entertainment site Dave & Buster’s.  

“It’s always been a goal of mine, ever since I was little,” Tran said. “After my father left for a business trip, he was actually the last person I played the game with, so it’s sentimental to me.”

Completing a resolution for the new year requires a plan and Peyton Patterson, a Biology teacher, lists the steps she will take to complete her goal of exercising more this year. 

She plans to “wake up earlier, buy a treadmill, and be more efficient with my time during the day so I can sleep earlier,” Patterson said. 

Lacey Gilmore, the Journalism teacher, does not partake in New Year’s resolutions because she believes that they are not necessary and are used for financial gain. 

“New Year’s resolutions are just a trick by advertising companies to make you feel like less, so you will spend your money, and boost their bottom line,” Gilmore said.

Gilmore also believes that resolutions for the new year are not necessary for growth, and that New Year’s resolutions do not usually work due to the pace that we as humans change.

“I think that the New Year’s resolution became a thing because everybody associates this fresh start with changing everything, and unfortunately that’s not how we work as human beings,” Gilmore said. “Our changes happen slowly and they don’t coincide with any particular date on the calendar.”

Whether it is a recurring New Year’s resolution or a brand new one, resolutions provide a sense of achievement when completed and can inspire people as the new year approaches. Patterson describes the positive effects her resolution has created for her.

“I’ve had this resolution in previous years and I just feel a lot better when I take time for myself and when I devote time for my wellness,” Patterson said.