We have now reached February and it is time to check in on the Malvern Prep community and see if they have kept up with their New Years Resolution. Kean and I wanted to figure out how people are doing in their New Year’s Resolutions. New Year’s Resolutions can cause a positive impact in people’s lives, but can also cause unnecessary stress in other’s lives. We wanted to take a closer look on how the Head of School and Associate Head of School  are keeping up with their New Year’s Resolutions if they had any. 

We reached out to Mr. Algeo, who is the associate head of the school at Malvern Prep, to see what he had to say about his New Year’s resolution. Mr. Algeo says that he does not believe in New Year’s resolutions; instead, he believes in healthy habit building all year long. The current habits Mr. Algeo is trying to improve on are: reading more poetry and being more mindful and present. Mr. Algeo says that he struggles with habits at first but over time they become regular practice to him. Mr. Algeo says he began to notice things that were subtle, and he appreciated the little things. Mr. Algeo has experienced changes due to this healthy habit building, commenting, “I believe that my physical and mental health are tied closely to the habits I build. Being more grateful has been proven to help prevent anxiety and depression.   Practicing gratitude allows ‘more wins’ in my daily routine. My interactions with people at home and at Malvern have been more positive and organic.” 

We also reached out to Mr. Sillup, who is the Head of School. Mr. Sillup is indeed a believer in New Year’s Resolutions. We were able to ask Mr. Sillup a few questions via email. 

Mr. Sillups says that his New Year’s Resolution is to limit phone time usage. When asked the question why he chose this resolution, Mr. Sillup responded by saying, “Too often I found myself scrolling on my phone late in the evening without purpose, and each time I found it more and more difficult to wind down and get to sleep. This is something that most people struggle with and find it harder to turn away from at night.” When I asked Mr. Sillup, how has he kept up with his New Year’s Resolutions, he stated, “Leaving my phone in another room at night has been a big positive change for me. “ Mr. Sillup also has experienced other changes in his life, like getting a new puppy, named Brix. He explained to me that it has been hard adjusting to the time of waking up, because Brix wakes up super early. 

Malvern community members should set goals that are attainable throughout the year, not just for New Year’s Resolutions in January. Not all people participate in New Year’s Resolutions, but they still can create goals that make them better. So how are you doing on your New Year’s Resolutions, if you had any?