New Year's Resolutions
Insight on staying motivated.
By KidsHealth
TWEENS & TEENS News January
2008
We asked 900 teens ages 13-18 how well
they do when it comes to setting and meeting
their goals. What better time to examine the
results of this survey than January, when
everyone’s making— or breaking—
New Year’s resolutions?
Gabby, age 14, resolved to change “everything.”
She asked, “Why live if you don’t
move forward?” Like Gabby, lots of teens
and tweens set goals and make changes. It’s
all part of the process of self-discovery.
But choosing a goal or something that needs
changing is the easy part. The hard part is
all the work that goes into getting there.
Seventy-seven percent of teen survey respondents
made New Year’s resolutions. They expressed
interest in wanting to do everything from
lose weight to learn the banjo. And, almost
all teens surveyed said they are doing well
at sticking with their goals. Here’s
more on what the KidsHealth survey revealed.
Most Common Goals
Starting with the most popular, the top five
resolutions the survey revealed for teens
were to lose weight, do something for personal
development— such as learn a new skill
or overcome shyness— do better in school,
get more exercise and kick a bad habit—
such as quit smoking or cutting class.
Making It Happen
To reach a goal, it helps to have a plan with
specific steps. It also helps to tell your
goal to someone you trust; supportive friends
and family members come in handy when your
willpower does a couch potato act.
Do people really make plans and ask for support?
Or, do they just wing it? According to the
resolution survey, it’s a bit of both.
Fifty-five percent of teen survey-takers said
they make specific plans, but 45 percent said
they just let things happen. And while 49
percent shared their resolutions with someone
else, 51 percent preferred to keep their resolutions
private.
The teens who plan and share their goals gave
lots of tips on making resolutions work. Kyla,
13, says, “I make plans about eating
and exercising, and I plan what I am going
to do when I reach my desired weight. I encourage
myself every day.” Anne, 16, says, “I
look at a sheet of paper where I have written
down all of my dreams.” Sarah, 14, says,
“I make a list because I like to tick
things off when I get them done, and I feel
guilty when I’m not able to tick them
off, so it keeps me on track.” Jasmine,
17, says, “I go to the gym with my sister.”
Kaylee, 14, says she gets support from “talking
to my boyfriend and him telling me that he
is really proud of me.”
Loved ones can help you stick with a goal
or make a change. However, what about the
people who just pretend to care? Ondrea, 13,
says, “Friends can also be a bad influence.”
She told us she needs to stay away from the
people she hung out with in the past if she’s
going to keep her New Year’s resolution.
. . . or Not Making It Happen
The fact that many people forfeit resolutions
is one reason why 23 percent of KidsHealth
survey-takers said they don’t make any
resolutions at all. “I wouldn’t
be able to keep the resolution,” says
Maritza, 18. “I never do.”
Staying Positive
Although some people give up, the survey shows
that most teens are definitely not quitters.
An impressive 92 percent of respondents remain
on target to meet their goals. What’s
even more impressive is that more than a third
of respondents say they slipped up, but got
back on track. That’s hard to do. When
people stray from their goals, it’s
tempting to give up altogether. But slipups
are actually part of the learning process.
Congratulations to everyone who recognized
this and recommitted to resolutions.
Optimism brings success. And success can help
people stay motivated to keep going. Tiffany,
17, made a resolution to get more exercise
because she was feeling out of shape. She
said, “After one week of staying on
track, I realized I felt energized, slept
better, and my confidence went up.”
According to the survey, Tiffany remains confident
that she will continue exercising.
Recognizing small successes is one motivator
for people trying to stick with a resolution.
Here are some other things that keep teens
motivated: “I play soccer a lot with
my friends and that motivates me, especially
when I’m losing,” says Yusra,
13. “Also, I play with my Dad and his
friends, and they are really big and strong,
so that drives me to do better.” Nick,
14, is already good at football. He could
stop there, but he wants to push himself to
get even better. To improve his skills he
says, “I watch my old tapes every day.”
Brigid, 15, made a resolution to get into
her school’s spring musical. “Since
this is my first year in high school, it was
harder to get in,” she said. “I
practiced my audition piece a lot and did
my best at the tryouts.” Brigid’s
work paid off— she made it into the
play!
Taking inspiration from someone else also
motivates many teens. Many survey respondents
talked about looking up to someone who had
accomplished a goal. One 13-year-old girl
yearning to lose weight to manage her diabetes
said, “I picture my Aunt because she
had diabetes and did it, so I can do it too.”
A 13-year-old respondent intent on overcoming
a cutting problem said, “Cutting is
a bad habit that is hard to break. I try to
think about what my school guidance counselor
told me and how much my teachers and counselor
care.”
When Times Are Tough
Some teen survey takers said they had been
hospitalized for eating disorders, depression
and attempted suicide. One 14-year-old girl
said she’s motivated to work to fix
her problems because “I don’t
want to end up back in the hospital or dead.”
If things are extremely tough, making a resolution
to change often isn’t enough. It can
be hard to stay motivated when you attempt
the goal alone. People with serious problems
generally need help from friends and family
members. Dana and Tina (not their real names)
are two 14-year-old friends who resolved to
share the resolution experience. Dana revealed
her resolution is to “keep helping my
friend [Tina] in rehab for an eating disorder
and to get her out and keep her healthy when
she is ready.”
Tina disclosed how it happened: “I had
a really bad smoking and drinking habit, and
I suffer from an eating disorder. I decided
I wanted to become healthy, but it was hard
so I stopped trying and kept starving myself,
smoking and drinking... It was my best friend
who caught me forcing myself to throw up.
She is my life saver,” says Tina. “Thanks
to her I have already achieved one step in
my goal. I admitted I have a problem and got
help.”
If you’re struggling with some heavy
problems, admitting them and reaching out
to a friend for help is the first step to
recovery. Sometimes friends even see problems
before a troubled person is ready to recognize
them. If you’re feeling too depressed
that you can’t motivate to change, then
talk to someone. And listen when a friend
like Dana gets up the nerve to talk to you
about your troubles.
Focus On Accomplishments
If you’ve made a resolution that’s
difficult to maintain, perhaps focus on the
little things you achieve, rather than what
you’ve done wrong or when you slip up.
Tell yourself how much better you feel by
committing to a resolution. Like Ariel, 14,
who says, “I think of how much healthier
I’m eating and how eating an apple instead
of a piece of cake makes you feel better.”
Or Alexis, 13, who says, “When I cut
down ‘media’ time and go for a
run, to the gym, or play outside, I feel refreshed
and healthy.”
Give yourself rewards, like Anna, 13, who
stays motivated to get schoolwork and studying
done because “afterwards I can use the
Internet and watch TV.”
Most of all, take it easy on yourself. “Just
take it one day at a time, then a week, then
a month— and then it will be a year!,”
says Katherine, 13.
Change Comes More Than Once A Year
New Year’s Eve isn’t the only
time to make a change for the better. Quite
a few teens make resolutions anytime they
feel like it. “I believe that people
can make a resolution and change their life
any day of the year if they want,” says
Tanya, 15. “It doesn’t have to
be on New Year’s.”
Jamie, 16, says, “I’m continually
making goals. When I need to make a change,
I do it— I won’t wait for a new
year to make my life different.”
And if you’re happy with how things
are at the moment and can’t think of
anything you want to work on, celebrate yourself!
“I didn’t make a New Year’s
resolution,” says Arielle, 13, “because
I am happy how my life is.”
KidsHealth is one of the largest online
resources for medically reviewed health information
written for parents, kids and teens. Visit
www.kidshealth.org or www.teenshealth.org
for more articles like this one.
