As the calendar flips to the year 2026, students across The Seven Hill School are using the start of the new year as a moment to create and reset habits, reflect on how far they have come, and set intentions and goals for the year that branch farther than just the classroom. Many people make New Year’s resolutions as a tradition that is done at the start of every year, which in the end has no value. However, this year it seems that Seven Hills students are approaching New Year’s resolutions with a renewed sense of purpose and practicality.
For junior Will Stock, a student who is highly involved in academics and student life, this year’s resolution centers on living in the moment: “One of my main ones was to use social media less,” he said. “Like, stay off Instagram Reels.” He explained that reducing screen time does not mean eliminating social media and screen time in its entirety, but it is more about setting boundaries that are realistic and redirecting the time to more productive things in the meantime. To help himself stay in the moment and focus on his goals, Stock has “set time limits” on his phone. When he runs out of time, he states, “When they go off, I try not to ignore them.”I feel like you could change this quote to “When he runs out of time, he tries not to ignore them/ignore the limits.”
Another big goal for Stock is reading more books outside of class time. “I don’t really read that many books,” he stated, noting that most of the books that he reads come from his Seven Hills English classes. Alongside more reading, Stock hopes that he will be able to maintain a consistent gym routine. Reflecting on his 2025, he said that he had similar goals: “It was kind of just going to the gym and getting a better diet,” he noted. “I think it went pretty well. I started going more consistently instead of randomly.”
Stock believes that the key to success this year lies in setting realistic and achievable goals. Stock prefers a broader perspective. He said, “I don’t really frame mine as New Year’s resolutions. They’re just things I want to do during the year.” Some of Stock’s goals tied back to his direct interest: for example, his curiosity towards Greek. Stock stated that “Part of my resolution is to learn it well enough to speak and go to Greece someday.”
Other Seven Hills students are similarly motivated to work toward their goals of self-improvement. Senior Miles Rizor, an academic student athlete, is geared up to attend college next year. His resolutions have some similarities with Stock’s. Rizor included eating healthier food, exercising and going to the gym more, and procrastinating less. “I hope I can stick with it,” Rizor said. “I think it’ll make me more disciplined and just a better person.”
Rizor also noted that consistency has been a struggle that he has had to overcome in the past. “I had similar resolutions in 2025, and I don’t think I stuck with them, so this year I’m really going to try.” He expects challenges and bumps in the road to come along the way, admitting that “it’s really easy not to follow them,” admitting that temptations and laziness can kick in towards the end of the year.
Regardless of the challenges that await him, Rizor remains optimistic about his New Year’s resolutions: “I think New Year’s resolutions can be really helpful if you stick with them,” he said. With college up next, he believes that discipline is going to be essential to guarantee his success, stating, “Being able to follow a routine and do what I say I’m going to do is going to be really important.”
While New Year’s resolutions to some may seem like a tradition, students like Rizor and Stock prove that for them, New Year’s resolutions are not just an afterthought. Instead, they show that when approached with the right mindset and thoughtfully, they can become meaningful tools for self-improvement. At Seven Hills, the start of 2026 is more than just a new year; it’s a shared commitment of growth, balance, and responsibility for all students.
