New Year’s Resolutions: For or Against?

Opinions are divided when it comes to making New Year's resolutions.

This week I asked a group of random people around New Jersey about their resolutions for 2015, and found re-commitments to fitness, admissions of past failure, apathy about the holiday-inspired tradition, and alternatives to goal-setting.

High schoolers were the most vocal about fitness out of everyone I interviewed.

"My New Year's resolution is simply not to skip leg day- not once," said 17-year-old Mike Poole of Lavalette.

Poole's friend, Steven Gassaway, said he also plans to run and exercise daily to reach his full potential. His motivation? Friends who push him to work out together. The boys were joined by another friend, Dan Szalecki of Lebanon, who said he's "pretty ecstatic" about making daily decisions to improve instead of following a New Year's resolution.

"I don't have a New Year's resolution. Making one kind of goes against my whole train of thought and mentality about life," said Pari Clemente, a personal trainer in Hunterdon County. Clemente, like Szalecki, focuses on pushing himself to make adjustments throughout the year.

Similar to Clemente is Barbara Schantzenbach, a Milford Post Office employee. "I really don't do resolutions," she said with a laugh. "I used to do resolutions, but I've never stuck to them, so I just gave up trying." The Hellertown, P.A. resident said it's possible, but doubtful, that she might change her perspective on the subject in the future.

From an optimist's perspective, Jesse O'Hagan, a 20-year-old barista at the Riverside Cafe in Clinton, said his resolution is "to bring love and positivity into 2015." Last year, he said, was "pretty crappy," but the upcoming one seems promising to him.

"I don't know what the future's going to bring, but as long as I'm happy and smiling, I have people who love me around, and I don't feel like I need a resolution. I just feel this next year is a clean slate for me to do what I need to do."

What are your thoughts on New Year's resolutions? Do you have one? Share your thoughts below!