The new year has come around, and it is time to commit to being a new and improved person. New Year’s resolutions are usually forgotten, but this time around plan to get back in the game and stop slacking off. Here are some resolutions to help you achieve your personal goals and become the best person you can be.

1. Get back in shape – You ate so many slices of pie for Christmas, and the Halloween candy from three months ago still hasn’t been jogged off. You want to lose weight, so make a plan to work out six or seven days a week. High intensity interval training classes (HIIT) are tough but it’s not like it will kill you. You should have enough willpower to lift heavy weights every day and run five miles a week. Make sure to buy new tennis shoes in preparation.
2. Study more – You got a B in Chemistry Honors last semester. This semester will be different! Aim to sit your butt down at your desk for two extra hours a day to reread all the extra notes you plan to take in class. Also, remember to ask extra questions in class and do extra credit.
3. Read books – Admittedly, most of your free time is spent on Netflix or Youtube. You know you don’t read nearly enough literature, and all those recommendations are piling up. Plan to crunch out the chapters as fast as possible, even if “Moby Dick” can get pretty boring. Might as well read the summary on Sparknotes.
4. Drink more water – You aren’t sure why this resolution is so popular, but it’s as good as any to start. Enough with the countless sodas and Starbucks trips. Buy yourself a new stainless steel water bottle, and take sips between classes. Make sure to also put a label on this one. You don’t want to lose it like last time… wait, is this why it’s so popular?
5. Waste less time on the internet – This one will be easy. Make a promise to only use the computer for writing school papers, sending emails and checking notifications for club meetings through Facebook— aww, this repost about an owl playing with a cat is so cute! Like.
6. Do that new thing you’ve been meaning to try – You heard about rock climbing, you’ve been to Planet Granite once for a birthday party and now your friend won’t stop talking about it. Why don’t you give it a try? It would be great exercise and you might like this new sport. All you need now is climbing gear, a membership and some extra hours to drive (the closest place is two hours away). All of it will be worth it. Besides, you aren’t afraid of heights… are you?
7. Talk to that special person – You wimped out last time when asking your crush to the winter formal. Don’t be afraid of rejection! All you have to do is go talk to them, and ask them out on a date. You aren’t sure if they know your name, but that can be a good conversation starter, right? You already know everything about them from Facebook stalking anyway… would that be creepy? Too late, they changed their status to ‘in a relationship.’
8. Make healthier food choices – Before, it was a donut and milkshake for dinner. Now it will be a salad and spring rolls, or a squash soup. Make sure to fill your Pinterest with recipes beginning in keywords such as ‘low-calorie’ or ‘sugar-free.’ That new arugula salad? You never tried it, but how nasty can all these leafy greens actually be? Besides, you’ll get to eat your chocolate later — oh wait.
9. Spend more time with family – Groan. Your mother and father only ask about grades, and your siblings just annoy you by borrowing stuff and asking for money. But they still deserve your loving company. This year, plan to hang out with your obnoxious brother and play hours of Monopoly and Minecraft. You can endure boring small talk with your dad about baseball, and shopping trips with your mom. After all, heartfelt discussions are rare in this very loud family… QUIET GUYS!
10. Begin that serious project idea – You’ve always wanted to make a YouTube channel. You don’t know the first thing about film or movie editing, but who’s to say that will stop you? Begin by collecting your equipment and setting up your filming space. By the time the lighting angle is perfect and your camera is charged, you will come up with a new ambition.
11. Go to bed and wake up early – You were tired all of first semester, and the value of sleep has never been so real. Before, hitting the hay at 12:30 a.m. was considered an early bedtime. Plan to go to bed earlier, around 10 p.m. To have the extra snooze time, all you have to do is complete your homework, go to the gym, read a new novel, begin that project, hang out with your siblings, finish your extra studying… you can cram it all into six hours.
12. Keep as many New Year’s resolutions as possible – New year, new life. Everyone wants to improve themselves. Achieving goals is easier said than done. Let’s be honest — how many resolutions can we keep?