Making some kind of goal at the start of the year is a popular tradition. Sometimes, however, the goals aren’t met and you’re left feeling disappointed. Here are some ideas for resolutions to start the year off right:

• Make more friends – Having people to make you laugh or comfort you is always nice. The more, the merrier.
• Don’t read the tabloids – Sure, celebrities may seem much more interesting than the average person just because they’re celebrities, but knowing all about Taylor Swift’s latest boyfriend or the most recent Justin Bieber controversy won’t really improve anyone’s life.
• Put Instagram to good use – Not that there’s anything wrong with selfies, but maybe it’s time to spice up your page. Go to new places with your friends and take pictures. Make art and post a picture of it, even if you don’t think it’s very good.
• Remember how awesome you are – Just about everyone has had low self esteem at some point in their lives, so try to give yourself more credit this year (and every year). Whether you’re insecure about looks, intelligence, love life, or anything else, just remind yourself how great you are.
• Get over yourself – Yes, you’re awesome. But that doesn’t mean you’re better than everyone else on the planet. Too much confidence is not a good thing. Find a happy medium.

The Marionette asked HCP students about their new year’s resolutions. Here are some of their responses:

“Get my life together and stop procrastinating on language learning.” -Samaiyah Harpe, 11

“Drink more water.” -James Wood, 10

“Stay fit and help my mom lose weight.” -Kyra Roosa, 9

“Not pick my nose in public.” -Adam Stroud, Pre-AP Biology

“Find time to work out and get ready for college.” -Kat Leenders, 12

“Practice piano for two hours straight everyday.” -Chase Leech, 9

“Watch more TV so I know what’s going on in the world and eat more vegetables.” -Natalie Runnels, Pre-AP English II

“Make better grades.” -Ryan Choi, 11

“I’m gonna hit my big brother less.” -ViaFaith McCullough, 10

“I am an independent person and I don’t need a new year to make changes. If I want a change, it can happen anytime.” -Marlando Calender, 12

If none of these are inspirational, you could just write down all the good things you do throughout the year (turning assignments in on time, conquering a fear, learning a new skill, etc.) and put them in a jar. Then at the end of the year, instead of feeling bad about the things you weren’t able to do, you can look back at all the things you did do.