Every January, people set New Year’s resolutions with the hope that a fresh calendar will spark lasting change. From saving money to breaking bad habits, resolutions often begin with motivation and optimism. But as routines return and daily pressures build, many find it difficult to stay on track.
Although resolutions are created with good intentions, distractions, stress and unexpected challenges can quickly derail progress.
One of the most common resolutions is saving money. For teacher Briana Siwicki, the goal sounded simple enough.
“To save more money,” Siwicki said.
In practice, however, everyday situations made it difficult to stay committed. Social plans and spontaneous spending added up faster than expected.
“When I would go shopping or friends were asking me to do things,” Siwicki said.
As the year continued, her motivation declined further due to larger expenses and outside influences.
“When I bought my new car,” she said.
Winter weather also played a role in weakening her resolve.
“I feel like the snow days didn’t help, because then I was like, I can go shopping,” Siwicki said.
Eventually, she realized that her resolution was not always realistic.
“There were things that I needed to spend money on, like a winter coat,” Siwicki said.
While some resolutions focus on finances, others aim to change personal behavior. Kenny Hayes ’26 set a goal that required constant self-awareness.
“My New Year’s resolution is to stop lying,” Hayes said.
However, he admitted that breaking old habits proved more difficult than expected.
“It’s so much easier to lie,” Hayes said, explaining how tempting it was to fall back into familiar behavior.
Even as his motivation faded at times, Hayes recognized that setbacks were part of the process.
“It’s not a linear path,” he said. “Sometimes things go down, but the important thing is that you’re always making growth.”
Another resolution focused on overcoming fear rather than breaking a habit. Ilya Kuzmik set a goal to learn how to drive after a stressful experience behind the wheel. During the winter months, his motivation dropped as practice became more difficult.
“I just wasn’t able to actually drive around,” Kuzmik said.
School responsibilities also limited his time.
“Because of school, I didn’t have a lot of time,” he said.
After struggling to regain confidence, driving began to feel less like progress and more like pressure.
“I was embarrassed,” Kuzmik said. “It felt like a chore.”
For many, resolutions start with excitement but become challenging as obstacles arise. Whether the goal is saving money, changing behavior or facing fears, the struggle to stay motivated highlights a common truth: growth rarely happens all at once.
