New Year's Resolutions Are Pointless
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New Year's Resolutions Are Pointless

Do we actually accomplish any of these goals? Not usually.

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New Year's Resolutions Are Pointless
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I know what you're doing.

You're compiling a list of New Year's resolutions, or should I say, a list of things you say you're going to do but fail to even consider past the first day of the new year.

I know this because I've been doing it for as long as I can remember.

The new year is seen as a beacon of hope for many people - a fresh start and a way to forget the previous year and all its troubles. It is the perfect time to set a bunch of unrealistic goals and expectations for ourselves before we enter another year.

On our list, we pencil in things like "go to the gym," "eat healthy," "sleep more," travel more," and "save money." We add things that we had the past 365 days to do but failed to accomplish like every other year. We write up a list of New Year's resolutions every year because it gives us hope for the new year - hope that we'll be better and do better. But do we actually accomplish any of these goals? Not usually.

Go to the gym? I cancelled my gym membership last month because I couldn't remember the last time I went.

Eat healthy? Ha! You should see what I ate for dinner last night.

Sleep more? I'm yawning as we speak.

Travel more? Check my bank account. "Maybe next year," I always say.

Save money? Well, I cancelled my gym membership, so that accounts for something, right...?

Think back to last year when you made your own list of New Year's resolutions. Did you accomplish anything on that list? Are you a changed person? If so, cheers to you. If not, welcome to the club.

It's good to go into the new year feeling motivated and determined to change your lifestyle and start living your best life. However, it usually ends in disappointment when you reflect back on the past 365 days and realize that nothing has changed and you're still the same person; it's difficult to stay motivated to accomplish your New Year's resolutions because resorting to your old habits is easier. Besides that, sometimes we set the bar so high that our New Year's resolutions aren't even attainable.

I'm sure I would feel healthier if I went to the gym, but I've just never been a fan and find other activities much more enticing.

I've tried eating healthy, don't get me wrong. However, healthy food is out of budget for a college student.

I wish I could sleep more, but being a full-time college student doesn't really allow it when you have two exams to study for, a group project, and a paper due the same week.

I can't really travel more or save money because going to college has put me in so much debt it's going to take me two decades to pay it off.

At the end of the day, I am making a plethora of excuses. I very well could accomplish every single thing on my New Year's resolutions list, but I'm not even making one this year because I know I'm going to be disappointed at my lack of motivation and accomplishment this time around next year. I've never been a fan of following a list and checking off the boxes, so instead of doing that, I have decided I'm going to start initiating small changes in my life when I'm ready.

If I've learned anything throughout my life, it's that doing things because you want to will get the job done successfully. If you're not passionate about what you're seeking, you're either going to do a half-ass job or you won't do it at all. Besides that, everyday changes throughout our lives should be just as celebrated as those accomplished off a New Year's resolution list.

You just quit that job you hated on a random Tuesday in February? Congrats to you.

You dumped your douchebag boyfriend in July? You go girl!

You finally took that weeklong dream vacation to the Maldives that you've been dreaming about for nearly a decade? That's awesome. Take lots of pictures and get a nice tan.

Set the pencil down and tear up that list with "New Year's resolutions" written in bold at the top. Figure out what is making you unhappy and make those small changes every day throughout the next year. And if you fail, try again next year, but don't see a list as the only way to hold yourself accountable; you'll hold yourself accountable if you want it bad enough. If eating a salad every day and lifting weights just isn't your thing, find a new dream.

I like the meaning behind New Year's resolutions, but if I'm being honest, it's kind of a stupid concept when we forgot about our "goals" once the new year begins. You'll accomplish those goals on your own time and if you really want to, but if you're just trying to be appealing to the rest of society by saying you go to the gym regularly and indulge in vegetables, give it up.

So, cheers to the next 365 days of trying and failing. But it's the thought that counts, right?

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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