Are Resolutions Worth Taking?
Resolutions. Another debate people can’t seem to agree on. What’s new?
The new year marks the return of old rituals. One stands out.
It is the same thing everywhere; people are taking resolutions the days or hours leading up to the new year. January 1st is highlighted in bright yellow in calendars.
We always want to change a least one thing about ourselves. That’s human nature, we understand that no one is perfect, not even Cristiano Ronaldo.
What better time than the start of a new year to take one or multiple resolutions? When we feel we can move away from bad habits that made their way to us over the years.
A fresh start seems attractive to many. Who would be against that? Again, that’s human nature, and everyone is open to that even though we are beings that love the routine.
Many resolutions come to mind.
First off, the majority of resolutions are about health, and getting in better shape. It is all supposed to happen miraculously on January 1st. That’s why so many people get gym memberships in January with the intention of going all year long.
It rarely happens according to plans. You can witness that by seeing the number of people working out indoors in February.
And often, resolutions are extreme. It is all or nothing.
Here are a few examples:
· I will have a six pack.
· I will not drink one once of alcohol all year long.
· This year, I am going to meet someone.
· No more smoking. It stops the morning of January 1st (after you’ve smoked a bunch of cigarettes on December 31st).
Those are hard to achieve from one moment to the other. Like everything in life, it can be achieved but by going gradually and by having a clear strategy. Steps are needed to get somewhere.
Most times, a resolution isn’t incorporating any plan. You think you will attain an objective by magic, hoping for the best. Good luck with that.
The question is simple. Are new year’s resolutions worth it?
It depends. It shouldn’t be something that’s at the top of your mind.
Many aspects come into play.
The more extreme the resolutions are, the more chances are you won’t succeed. If you decide to take resolutions, they need to be manageable. It needs to leave you some breathing room. Are you able to respect them without compromising every aspect of your life? If the answer is yes, that’s a start.
Diets are often not respected to the letter. They work at the beginning but people give up after a while because they are too restraining. To put it bluntly, diets are often insane, and aren’t meant to be incorporated in your everyday life.
Resolutions can’t be too precise. In that case, you may end up being really disappointed if you do not follow through. Meeting someone to build a relationship is the perfect example. It may or may not happen. It puts too much pressure on your shoulders.
On the other hand, a resolution cannot be too vague. If someone says he wants to improve his mental health, that’s great. But what especially? You need to choose one element you want to work on in order to get somewhere.
Overall, as you can imagine, I’ve never been a huge fan of new year’s resolutions. They are rarely met. They usually have a better chance of success if they are taken at another moment during the year, without all the new year stress and pressure.
Resolutions are most likely to fail when they are talked about to your inner circle of friends and family. Once again, the pressure part comes into play when you’ve talked about it to everyone you know.
A good resolution should be for you, and only yourself. It isn’t for all of your colleagues at work to know or to be put on social media.
If it means a lot to you, you might end up achieving your goals.
It is the same as for birthday wishes. They are not meant to be shared. It is something deeply personal that you want to happen or that you want to achieve.
Resolutions, however, remain a huge part of the holiday season. People are looking forward to the future, and want to change an aspect of their life. You can still be curious and ask others if they have resolutions.
But remember that you should never feel obliged to pick a resolution.
It is perfectly normal to not have a resolution for the new year. You could also decide to change something at another time, without the expectations of early January.
On these thoughts, may you have a healthy and joyful year.
We can all agree on that.
