Happy New Year! We all made it through 2020. But what is there to do now? How is this year any different from last? With a new year comes New Year’s Resolutions. Many people come up with lists of goals they want to do, but what about people who choose to not do that? You can try living by one word! 

Mrs. Ramos, English teacher at AHS, decided to give her students a challenge. This was making her students choose one word to live by throughout 2021. The word that you choose will be something you strive to be, something you focus on improving on and the thing you promote others to be. Living by one word will sum up who you want to be and how you want to live the new year. For this story, I have interviewed Annaka Digmann, Sophomore at AHS, Emma Wood, Junior at AHS and another student who wishes to remain anonymous. 

Annaka Digmann is in Mrs. Ramos’s Women’s Literature class. This year she did not make a New Year’s Resolution, so the only goal she had was her word. The word that she chose was “flexible.” Digmann is a very active person with a complex schedule. When asked why she chose the word she did, she replied, “I thought of the word flexible because I want to be more physically flexible and more flexible with my schedule.” So far she has not gone out of her way to follow this word but she already feels like she has improved. She says, “ I plan to execute my word by stretching more consistently and going with whatever plans get made even if I don’t know about them until they happen.” Digmann recommends using the one-word goal because it gives more free reign and is less demanding. 

Emma Wood is in Mr. Ramos’s Cultural Literature class. This year she made small goals but no big resolutions. The word that she chose was “confidence.” She chose confidence because “confidence is something I definitely struggle with. I really think I would live such a better life if I had more confidence in myself and in everything I do.” So far Wood has followed this word, which is amazing. In order to follow through with her word, she is going to stop comparing herself to others and start loving herself for who she is. Wood left off the interview by saying, “I have never thought of living by one word but I think it is a cool concept. Most people make New Year’s resolution, but nobody really tries to live by just one word and I think that it can be a lot more challenging this way.” 

One student, who wished to remain anonymous, did not have a New Year’s Resolution before the assignment. The word the student chose was “drive.” They felt that the word drive can apply to many life aspects. It can be for personal things or things that include others around them. They chose this word because “it has many meanings and can have multiple meanings.” This person has done a great job following their word and will continue following their word by “trying my hardest in everything I do.” The student likes the concept of following one word rather than making a resolution because it is more general and personal. 

Going into a new year can cause much stress. Making long lists of things you want to achieve can add even more stress. By narrowing your goals down to one word that you want to follow can make your goal seem more achievable and more realistic. It is never too late to try living by a word, so if you have not made any resolutions yet, make sure to try this! Happy New Year everybody and don’t forget to create your own #OneWord365.