As a new year starts, the ancient chant of “New Year, New Me” always appears. Making resolutions is the easy part, keeping those resolutions, however, is always challenging. With January officially ending, most people have already given up their infinite list of resolutions. Without further adieu, here are some tips to keeping resolutions or improving yourself:

• Time- management. While this seems basic, it’s an important thing to state since we’re all high school students with the procrastination demon hovering over our shoulders. Rome wasn’t built in a day, your essay shouldn’t be written in one either.
• Responsibility. Whether it’s responsibility for your actions or sticking to plans, nothing can get accomplished unless you keep up with your responsibilities. 
• Keep it Logical. Despite there being 365 days in a year, time is always ticking. It’s better to map out smaller goals leading towards a bigger one because you’ll be encouraged to continue reaching for the stepping stones rather than the daunting boulder. 
• Talk Positively to Yourself. If you tell yourself you’re dumb, or annoying, or ugly all the time, soon you will start believing it. In this time when you are trying to change yourself, it’s important to keep a positive outlook. 
• Be Specific. According to behavioral scientists, when making resolutions you need to be specific. Having more specific resolutions rather than open- ended ones give people more of a goal to work towards. There’s more of a path and it’s less difficult to stray away. 

Although I can pour out more basic life skills, it’s important to remember that constantly striving for perfection can lead to depression and anxiety. While trying to improve yourself, make sure to remember that as long as you haven’t killed anybody or kick puppies for fun, you’re already a great person- these resolutions will just build upon your solid foundation.