I’m going to admit, I’ve never been a big fan of the idea of New Years Resolutions. I mean, it’s already asinine enough that the changing of the calendar year is cause for raucous partying (not that I mind…any excuse to party is ok in my book; doesn’t make it any less silly). To decide to do something just because December is turning back into January again doesn’t really seem like a good catalyst for real change.
As a matter of fact, in one of my more hypocritical moments, I decided that my New Years Resolution was going to be to never make a New Years Resolution ever again. Now, 6 years later, I’ve held firm to my one and only resolution. During that time, I’ve used the New Year as an excuse to travel and party in some of the best New Years celebrations in the country (Las Vegas, New Orleans). Seems like a better use of my time.
However, I got to thinking why Resolutions do not work, and I have come up with an answer. They are too specific in some ways, and too vague in others. “I will go to the gym more” is a terrible resolution, because “more” can be once…if you’ve never been. You go twice in January, and bam, you’ve done it! But it hasn’t really led to real change. Sometimes the resolution can be “I am going to lose 40 pounds this year.” This seems overly specific. At some point you will hit a wall…and it will take loads of work to get through it. However, if you are using a New Years Resolution as your motivating tool to get back in shape, that doesn’t seem like a great motivator. You hit your wall at 20 pounds lost, and then get frustrated and quit. Way too specific of a goal.
If the point of the New Years Resolution is so you can tell all your friends that you made one, well, you can say whatever you want. And if the point of your New Years Resolution is to accomplish it as easily as possible, well, you can also say whatever you want. However, if someone really wishes to use the turning of the calendar year to enact real change in their lives…maybe a more personal, reachable goal should be on the menu. Something like “My New Years Resolution is to be happy with myself, and make myself into someone that I would want to be around.” This is a simple, yet wildly transformative resolution that could lead to real change. Your resolution is not based on outside factors. It is not based on what others think of you, or what the world says you should be doing. If it takes going to the gym 3 times a week to be happy with yourself, you can do that. If it takes changing your personality to be nicer to those around you to change yourself into someone you would like to be around, that’s something you can do as well. The point being that it is a personal choice that you make, for you.
With that in mind, I’m going to continue to stick to the one and only New Years Resolution that I have ever made…I’m not going to make one. New Years Resolutions do not make me happy. I don’t enjoy them. And I would forget about it, or ignore it, as soon as it is convenient for me. I’m just going to continue being myself, and doing the things that I enjoy, because really, I have very few complaints with my life right now. Mostly, I’m just going with the flow and enjoying myself. No resolution I could ever make would help me improve upon that.
Happy New Year everyone!
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