By Gideon Abadilla, Youth Development Specialist
At the beginning of each year, it is common practice to create a new year’s resolution. This involves setting a goal for oneself that should be accomplished by the end of the year. The goal can be long-term or short-term, but oftentimes, the achievement of this goal is perceived to be an ultimate marker of success for the year. While there is nothing wrong with being intentional with one’s goals, New Year’s resolutions can create an unnecessary amount of pressure around actually completing a goal and may cause one to give up on it entirely. The sentiment is that it would be easier for one to dismiss the goal altogether rather than to work really hard towards the goal and fail anyways.
With this in mind, student organizations SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and Incorruptible.US collaborated to come up with an activity that would inspire their peers to still look forward to their futures, but with less pressure to accomplish something so absolute. The activity they created was named Write It In The Stars, which is a spin on the phrase “written in the stars,” which represents something that is fated to happen and no one has control over. For the activity, students were asked to write down one word or phrase on a star that would guide their experience for the year. It could describe something that they want to focus on, want more of, or want to maintain this year. This method of goal setting is still intentional yet leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Overall, SADD and Incorruptible.US’s activity was well-received by the participants at Carteret High School. They provided some great words to set their intentions for the year, such as “growth,” “adventure,” and “strength”. The clubs hope to see that these words truly stick with the students throughout the year and that their intentions manifest in a positive manner. What is your word for 2024?