Have you made any?

Once again, another new year has dawned. 2008 is yet another year, which is full of hope and wishes! People make new year resolutions during this time of the year.

This New Year too, we are sure that most of you must have made new year resolutions to make your lives successful and brighter. So, your favourite newspaper, the Junior Observer, decided to share with our readers the resolutions made by some of our members, and at the same time, give you some tips on how to keep your resolutions.

What is a new year resolution? It is a commitment that an individual makes to a project or a habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as helpful.

The name comes from the fact that these commitments normally go into effect on new year's day. They generally remain until the set goal has been achieved, although many resolutions go unachieved, and are often broken shortly after they are set.

As an example, a child might resolve to wake up early morning, or do studies without being lazy, but after sometime he/she might become lazy to do so and give up on the resolution.

No matter how successful or unsuccessful you have been in following the resolutions in previous years, you will always want to make fresh resolutions for the coming year, with great determination and a strong will.

The first few days of the new year are the most crucial in order to plan for the entire year. To stay committed to the resolution is somewhat difficult, but still some people manage to do so. New year resolutions provide some sort of direction to people to lead their lives in the coming year.

This is the time to make feasible new year resolutions. Some people make resolutions that are impractical and impossible to keep. Afterwards, these people find it difficult to follow such resolutions.

This could lead to a feeling of failure. But don't give up. Keep trying and you will finally achieve your goal. Always remember that even though it may take just one day to make a new year resolution, it cannot be achieved in just one day.

You need time, and many attempts have to be made to ultimately get where you want. New year resolutions are just the starting point. They have to be achieved step-by-step. If you keep this in mind, you will never give up on your new year resolutions.

So, if you haven't made any resolution yet, you can do so now. Even though we are already six days - almost a week into the new year, it's never too late to make new year resolutions.

How to achieve your resolutions

Making resolutions is easy, but keeping them is the hard part. It involves great efforts along with careful planning. Making new year resolutions and plans is not hard, as it creates a desire of replacement and renewal of both your mind and body.

The achievement of new year's resolutions depends on setting practical goals and following a clear plan of action.

They involve strict devotion to the regular ritual of practising it everyday. In a way, these resolutions can keep you safe and help you to figure out the common bad habits you have been practising during the past several years. New year resolutions always vary from person to person. They are made with lots of hope and a strong desire for a better lifestyle.

New year resolutions should be such that they are easy to follow. The simple rule is 'do not expect too much from yourself.' Try to find out what you can do easily and then stick to them. Going out of the way to prove yourself to others is of no use.

Resolutions, that will make you a better human being and help you lead a more peaceful and comfortable life should be made in the new year. The bottom line is, change for the better in the new year!

History ...

The celebration of a new year is one of the oldest holiday celebrations in history. In fact, it was first observed in ancient Babylonia about 4,000 years ago. Their new year celebration lasted nearly two weeks.

So, the age-old custom of making new year resolutions dates back to Babylonian times, to about 15 BC. The Babylonians considered Janus, a mythical king or god of early Rome, as the symbol for resolutions.

This is because Janus is depicted with two-faces looking in two different directions. The Babylonians claimed he could therefore look back at the old year and into the new year and the future at the same time.

Here are of the resolutions that some of our members intend to keep in the New Year. Devmi Sanjula - a Grade 9 student of Samudra Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Nugegoda, is hoping to help her mother in her house work more than she used to do in the previous years. She also plans to do her studies well and score high marks in examinations.

She believes that to balance her lifestyle, she must engage in sports activities, so, she has decided to improve her skills to play badminton better than in the previous years.

Nishani Mahinsa hopes to wake up early in the new year. "Waking up early is one of the hardest things for me to do. So, I think if I could work according to my resolution, my life would be a lot easier and methodical," says Nishani. She is also expecting to join the Badminton and Chess Clubs to improve her ability in those areas. Nishani is a 13 year old studying at Royal International School.

Devmi Chamathka, a Grade 8 student of Ceylinco Sussex College, had this to say. "I became the fourth in the class but, I want to become the first this year. So, I want to do my best and achieve this goal. My parents always tell me that I must study hard and become a worthy citizen of this country. That is why I want to study hard and become a doctor some day."

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Some useful tips to achieve your resolutions

* Pick resolutions that are achievable.

* Develop a plan of action to achieve your goals.

* Write down your resolutions along with a step- by-step guide of the plan of action and refer to it when necessary.

* Implement the first step of the plan and analyse it carefully. See if any changes are required, and adjust accordingly.

* Set targets that you can achieve easily within a certain time frame without compromising too much of yourself and your time.

* Build up self-confidence, will-power and determination, with each day you keep to your resolution.

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Rashmi Upekka Hapuarachy of Wattala, a Grade 5 student of Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya is a voracious reader. Rashmi has two younger brothers. "I quarrel a lot with my two younger brothers, especially Pahan, my immediate younger brother. I want to learn to be patient and more tolerant with him.

"My favourite subject is Environmental Studies. I want to be a Veterinary Surgeon because I like animals. I have a small rabbit as my pet."

"I'm not going to fight with my sister from this year onwards," says Thamadi Viharini, another 13 year old studying at Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, Colombo.

She is also expecting to do her school homework regularly according to a timetable. She also wants to be a good daughter to her parents, and to be a good friend to her friends. She takes this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy and Peaceful New Year.

Kamalananda Abhilash, a 16 year old student from Modera is preparing for the G.C.E. (O/L) Examination in 2008. He intends to devote full time to his studies and do Maths for his Advanced Level. "Someday I want to become an engineer, so my New Year resolution is to study hard."

"I have a younger sister. We quarrel often. I want to be more patient with her and set a good example," says Dulashi Gayara Peiris , a Grade 5 student of Musaeus College.

U.A.D. Ravindu Pradeep, of St. Mary's College, Matugama, is preparing himself to sit for the G.C.E. (O/L) Examination this year. "My favourite subjects are Maths and English. I hope to get Distinctions for these two subjects. So I've made it my new year resolution to achieve this," said Ravindu.

Oshadi Bulathsinghala, a student of Vihara Maha Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Kiribathgoda who is also sitting for the G.C.E. (O/L) Examination this year said, "There are a few difficult subjects like Science. So, I want to concentrate on my weak subjects and score high marks at the examination and eventually become a doctor.

This is why I have made a resolution to study hard and get good rresults even in my weak subjects."

There were many who said that they didn't have any New Year resolutions. It is not a must or a tradition to make a resolution at a beginning of a new year; it should be something that you do willingly with the intention of improving your life. So, if you have identified any weaknesses in you during the previous years, perhaps you should make a commitment to get over them this year and become a better person in the future.

Life can throw many unexpected challenges at you as the days tick by, so be flexible and ready to change even your plan of action when necessary. However, do not lose sight of your resolution or resolutions. If you cannot stick to the original plan, find new ways to achieve your goal. What's important is that you finally get there, no matter how often you have to change the course.

Make a resolution to...

The new year resolutions you make should be aimed at improving your life, with being more organised, punctual and disciplined becoming the key areas of focus.

* Obey and respect your parents, teachers and elders.

* Live in peace and harmony with family, friends and neighbours.

* Be patient, kind and gentle with everyone.

* Study well and get good grades, and also complete your homework.

* Keep your environment clean.

* Conserve water and energy.

* Respect the law and obey rules.

* Protect Mother Nature and all its resources.

* Be kind to animals and protect them.

* Stop bullying and laughing at others, especially the differently abled.

* Be punctual and not waste others' and your time too.

* Help those in need in whatever little way you can.

* Be satisfied with what you have; don't envy others.

* Do whatever tasks entrusted to you, well.

* Be honest and truthful in every way.

You definitely may not be able to achieve everything mentioned here, but you can certainly try, at least you could be successful in achieving some of them... Good luck!