The New Year is an ideal time to prepare for the winter semester at Academy of Hope (AoH). It’s a chance to review the year, set ambitious goals, and plan your path toward economic mobility.
Achieving a resolution takes time, effort, and patience, just like an AoH program. Here are five steps to help you make lasting change.
Brainstorm
Reflect during your break. What habits helped you succeed in school? What would you like to improve: studying, time management, or participation? Thinking over the year clarifies which resolutions to set and motivates you to become the learner you want to be.
Create Resolutions
Based on your reflection, write a few objectives you want to achieve in the new year.
Use the SMART goal strategy to create resolutions. Following this strategy will help you break your goal down into smaller pieces. For example, instead of writing “I want to study more in 2026,” dig deeper. Add specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based elements: “I plan to review science material by attending an AoH study group session once a week during the winter semester.”
The clearer the instructions of your resolution are, the more manageable and motivating they’ll be to complete. Multiple SMART goals may be essential to an overarching resolution, but don’t overwhelm yourself with too many at once. Meet with AoH’s Student Support Team (SST) if you need help crafting these goals.
Make a Plan
Arrange your schedule to ensure your goals are prioritized. Creating a repetitive schedule will help you build habits needed to complete your resolutions. Utilize a planner, digital tools, or even your Schoology calendar to stay organized. This is a great way to practice time management skills by balancing school, your resolutions, and other obligations.
Hold Yourself Accountable
Track your progress through these planners and digital tools. If you notice you’ve stepped off course, don’t get discouraged. Be kind to yourself and plan accordingly to get back on track. If you missed a study group, find time in your calendar to study on your own, find classmates to study together another time, or return the following week.
Sharing your resolutions with your classmates, teachers/assessors, and SST is another great way to hold yourself accountable. You can schedule check-ins with SST to discuss your progress and the future.
If your peers know your goals, they can also offer words of encouragement, celebrate successes, and hold you responsible. Working towards resolutions with others who are doing the same can be inspirational, too.
Be Flexible and Amend Resolutions
If you find yourself struggling to maintain a resolution, adjust it. Start by changing a SMART element of your goal. For instance, if you find it difficult to attend a study group once a week, try tweaking it to every other week. If you notice no improvement, try changing more parts of the goal, or rework it entirely. Ask SST for assistance refining goals or obtaining resources needed to accomplish them, if needed.
Sometimes, resolutions may not be achieved, and that’s ok. Be proud of your effort behind creating a goal, crafting a game plan, and working towards it. You can always try again in the future.
Conclusion
What you want to achieve is important, and you are worthy of change. By following these steps, you can show that resolutions are possible, inspiring your peers to do the same. This can trigger a domino effect, leading to more productive individuals for a transformed community— aiding AoH’s mission towards economic mobility.