Oh yes, it is that time of the year. Time for a fresh start, time for a “new you.” Time to set resolutions. And despite popular belief, resolutions are not to be ridiculed.
Setting goals for the upcoming year is a healthy mental practice and can help get your life back on track. Think of New Years as a reset button; you are taking initiative in your life and changing whatever wasn’t sufficient enough to make you happy in the past year.
Change is good for you. Branch out and explore ideas or goals you’ve had but never acted on. Despite the beneficial experience, New Year's resolutions are severely underrated; too many people take pleasure in mocking the very concept that they can change their bad habits.
This is discouraging for most people, but try looking at it in a new light. Use the hateful comments to motivate yourself, since proving others wrong is always so fulfilling. That’s one of the best parts about sticking to your resolutions. That and bettering yourself, of course.
You can become that health or gym freak you’ve always striven to be, and although people may argue that for the most part no one really sticks to their goals, which is true, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t create any. Even crazy, unrealistic goals that you know you won’t be able to reach are great.
If you know that your goal is a bit more difficult than most, you just have to try that much harder and making any sort of effort to accomplish that, is enough to be proud of.
Who cares if you give up after a week of going to the gym; you went to the gym for a straight week! That’s impressive. Even if you give up after a day, you got the chance to try something new and gain more experience.
Now you know you don’t like crazy diets or you’ve learned that you actually suck at yoga at least you’ll never have to wonder, “what if?” again.
Try making resolutions every year, even if you’re unable to stick to them, at least you got to try something and that’s more than most people can say.
Better yet, if you stick to your resolution, you’ll benefit yourself, prove those pessimistic, anti-resolution people wrong, and break “resolution quitter” stereotype.
Read an alternate opinion on New Year's Resolutions: "On New Year's Resolutions: Why New Habits Should Not Be Exclusive to the Beginning of the Year" by Paulene Ng Chee.
