Lose weight. Get fit. Drink less. These and a handful of other obligatory New Year’s resolutions top the government’s list of the most popular pledges on its Web portal http://www.usa.gov.
But some of you had it easy – you thought that by declaring a no-brainer as the ball dropped you solved your problems for 2008. So easy that within a month or two, losing weight, getting fit and drinking less will fall from your ambitious check list and back into your routine.
At least that’s where 35 percent of you will end up, according to the third annual New Year’s resolution survey conducted by motivational training giant FranklinCovey.
Of the 15,031 surveyed, 35 percent just couldn’t come to grips with the grim realities of their horribly prioritized lives.
But at a school in a sinking city ripe for change, those with New Year’s resolutions aren’t just thinking about those popular pledges.
Vice President of Student Affairs Marcia “Cissy” Petty said her resolutions echo University Ministry Dean Kurt Bindewald’s prayers for the Loyola community in 2008. During the Jan. 4 President’s Convocation, Bindewald called for an “excess of understanding, patience, perseverance and strength,” an “excess of humility,” and to “remain open to growing beyond our mistakes and shortcomings; that we might work together to face healthy and productive change.”
Administrators aren’t the only members of the Loyola community thinking big in 2008. Some student organization leaders are using their resolutions to steer clear from that 35 percent.
Sociology senior Danielle Gaubert, Loyola University Community Action Program chairwoman, said the organization’s resolutions go beyond their mission.
“We’re not just focusing on our efforts to promote social change with student opportunities,” she said.
LUCAP also hopes for a university approval for a recycling program. “We’re hoping to get students informed so it doesn’t go away,” Gaubert said.
Gaubert said LUCAP will also work on its annual Gaiapalooza festival to focus more on fair trade, Loyola’s role in promoting social justice, and promoting student involvement with the recent public housing demolition demonstrations in New Orleans.
Political Science junior Cade Cypriano, Student Government Association chief of staff, said SGA’s New Year’s resolutions include plans to form an additional legislative body acting as a House of Representatives, hoping to increase the influence of student organizations in SGA.
KEEPING IT TOGETHER
Don’t be discouraged if you can’t commit to a serious relationship between you and your resolution.
Dr. Alicia Bourque, director of counseling services, offers a few words of advice for the soon-to-be resolutionless, including how to choose a resolution that’s right for you.
“Choose New Year’s resolutions that hold meaning for you and offer some enjoyment to you,” she said. “Ensure that your resolutions are manageable and attainable. Be specific and set detailed short and long-term goals.”
Instead of planning to solve epic crises in the New Year, think on a smaller scale. You can’t expect a miracle.
Bourque also suggested incorporating your New Year’s resolution into your daily schedule and to set aside time to think or engage in the activity for at least 30 minutes a day.
If you are still having trouble with your resolution, whether it’s losing an extra few pounds or getting more vegetables into your diet, don’t stress.
“Setbacks are natural when attempting to achieve resolution success,” Bourque said. “Monitor and analyze the barriers to your improvement in order to problem solve ways in which to improve your plan of action and keep your motivation in check.”
After all, nobody likes a quitter.
But when you have come to the end of your resolution’s rope, it may be time to call it quits. You can always stay friends.
“When feeling ambivalent about keeping your resolutions,” Bourque said, “weigh the positive and not-so-positive consequences of your decisions to make an informed choice.”
Alex Woodward can be reached at [email protected].
