It is hard to believe that 2015 is almost over. For many of us, this is the time of year in which we begin thinking about our New Year's resolutions. As a kid, when I would return to school from winter break, my teachers always assigned a New Year's resolutions journal activity. Being the perfectionist that I am, I was always eager to write about all the ways in which I intended to improve myself. With each new year, I felt like I had the opportunity to start fresh and essentially become a new person; this was a prospect that fascinated me. However, as I have grown older, I have come to the realization that the "New Year's resolution mindset" is generally an unhealthy one to have.
First off, the new year is not the only time at which you can make changes in your life. Positive changes can be made at any time of the year. You may not feel inspired to start working out right now, but in July, you may decide that you want to start your days by going for a mile-long run. You should not force yourself to create a New Year's resolution for the sheer sake of it. If you do not have the genuine desire to do something, chances are, you are not going to follow through with it. Desire is the driving force behind everything; follow it when it leads you, but do not force it.
Oftentimes, people set unrealistic goals for themselves at the beginning of the new year, and as a result, they are left feeling discouraged and may even give up on their goal altogether. It is healthy to always have goals for yourself, but they should be a multitude of small, achievable goals that are spread all throughout the year. When I was in the second grade, one of my many New Year's resolutions was to memorize all of the multiplication tables, from two through 12, before June. That in itself was a pretty hefty goal, but in addition to that, I had a bunch of other academic goals for myself. Needless to say, I became discouraged and I still do not have the 12 times table committed to memory.
Personally, I think that everyone should start the new year with one simple resolution: to remain attuned to their inner needs and wants. That way, we'll be able to set goals for ourselves as the needs for such goals arise. We have heard it all before, but it certainly does not hurt to hear it again: every day is the first day of the rest of your life. Listening to the needs and desires of your inner self, and then working toward achieving those things, is an act of self-love. You do not need a human-made calendar to dictate when you can practice self-love. Each day is a new beginning, and we ought to treat it as such.
