The student news site of Edwardsville High School

Tiger Times

The student news site of Edwardsville High School

Tiger Times

The student news site of Edwardsville High School

Tiger Times

New Year, New Blah Blah Blah

I don’t attend my local gym for the first month after New Year’s because of the annual stupidity spread loud around the world “for all to hear.”

Just a suggestion to the public who craves to work on their physique this upcoming year: maybe you should motivate yourself to keep your mouth shut.

Yes, I’m talking about “New Year, New Me” resolutions in 2015, just as they are made every year.

Out of the 45 percent of the population that picks out an “original” resolution for the New Year, only 8 percent actually go through with their plans and reach their goal, found by statistics on statisticbrain.com.

Of course, this doesn’t mean it can’t be done: maybe you’ll lose five pounds by not treating yourself to a heaping bowl of ice cream every night before bed, or you will work hard and mix up the perfect boyfriend in a lab, so you can accomplish falling in love.

Many of you pick random resolutions and expect to improve in yourself without dedication and applying yourself.

For example, you’ll promise to “spend less, save more” but by month three, the new iPhone 7 is out in stores and, well, you couldn’t “enjoy life to the fullest,” as you also swore you’d live by this year, if you don’t have one.

What happens? $800 is withdrawn from your savings account. Do you regret it? Before even considering what else you could have used that money for, like maybe a newer car, you’re too busy playing Trivia Crack on your new phone (which will crack in approximately the next five weeks.)

To bring you down even more, only 46 percent of the people who set resolutions find themselves continuing to follow their January 1 promise.

When you see yet another Facebook post stating, “This year, I’m going to focus on myself. I’m getting rid of the bad people in my life, and I’m putting myself first,” consider this: IT’S JUST A BIG LIE.

No, you’re already focusing on yourself because you seem to have the conceited belief that your fake resolution actually matters to followers on social media. In addition, you’re not going to get rid of the “bad people.” I’ll tell you what will happen: you’ll space yourself, start watching a rising TV series on Netflix, get bored with yourself, and then reminisce over the happy memories you’ve created with your unhealthy pals. Maybe you should give them a 67th chance? I mean, what if it finally clicks, right?

What’s my realistic solution to the overwhelming, wide-spread ridiculousness of resolutions?

Want to get organized? Check your bank statement that came in the mail two weeks ago, and keep track of your finances like you learned how to do in Consumer Ed.

Want to learn something new? Sit down and finish your homework in your Spanish II class, so you can learn how to ask “Where’s the bathroom?” just in case you’re abandoned in Spain eventually.

Want to find happiness? Find your friendships that need fixed, send them a text message, and calmly describe to them how you’ve been feeling, whether you’re finding yourself lonely, betrayed or ignored. If they initiate repairing the friendship and truly care about where you’re coming from, your resolution may have been able to be resolved.

About the Contributor
Erin Linden-Swafford
Erin Linden-Swafford, Staff Writer
Erin Linden-Swafford is a high-achieving, hard-working graduating junior at EHS. She has participated in live theatre in the past and loves to act, but her true passion is photography and writing, which she plans on pursuing in the future. She puts her all into writing pieces for English class and the school newspaper, yet her most prized possessions are the writing assignments she gives herself and the pictures she takes at Forest Park and in the woods surrounding Edwardsville. Everything is edited as close as it can be to perfection, for what makes Erin the happiest is giving others peace of mind through the passion in her words and through her lens.