It's that time of year again. The overused and annoying "New Year, New Me" posts scattered through Facebook and Twitter. But will there really be a new you in this new year? New Year's Resolutions have been a fad for my entire lifetime, and it's something that I don't see going away in the future. But before you get started making your long list of resolutions, make sure to ask yourself these questions.
1. Have I tried this before?
Some New Year's Resolutions recur year after year. News flash: these aren't something that will work. You're going to go to the gym everyday this year? Well if you haven't been able to do it the past five years, you probably won't be able to do it now.
2. Do I really need this on my list?
I've seen New Year's Resolution lists where people just list things for the sake of having a long list. The key to actually keeping your Resolutions is to keep your list short and focused.
3. Do I have time for this?
A lot of people, especially college students, have a lot of free time around Christmas and New Year's. So we falsely trick ourselves into thinking that this time will roll over into the New Year and new semester. So yeah. Going to the gym everyday is possible when you're not doing anything else, but once the swing of the New Year starts, many people end up ditching their Resolutions because of time.
4. Do I want to start now?
At the end of the day, New Year's is just another day. If you actually want to stick to your resolutions, you should want to start right away. There is no reason to put it off to January 1. Go ahead. Start your resolution now. If you can make it last through Winter Break, then you are more likely to stick with it through the year too.
5. How will I achieve this?
Another big reason why people fail in maintaining their New Year's Resolutions is that they don't have a game plan for achieving it. You need to have a pretty clear idea of how you are going to manage your resolutions before blindly entering the new year.
6. Will this make me a better person?
On the flip side, it's easy make simple resolutions just because they are easy to maintain. But do you really want to waste your time on a resolution that won't actually improve your life at all? This is where resolutions of a change in attitude are actually a good one to work on. Improve yourself mentally and emotionally, not just physically.
With these six questions, you'll be more likely to stick with the resolutions that make the cut. Just remember that not everything is important, and you don't need to go to the gym just because it's January 1.
