It’s that time again - the time for the debate of whether or not New Years resolutions are worth it or useless, the time for reviewing the exhaustion of the previous year, and the time of making note of everything you want to go differently in the next year, whether you deem them “resolutions” or not.
Some of you are reading this, disappointed that you’ve already failed on some of your resolutions when the new year has barely begun. You’re quitting on something you decided you wanted a few days ago and told yourself that it’s just not worth it. If you already can’t stick to your goal, what’s the point of continuing to set yourself up for disappointment time after time? Are New Years resolutions are just pointless?
Yes and no.
January first is the reset of 365 days that ancient astronomers deemed the length of a year based off of the rotation of the Earth around the Sun. That’s how we decided to measure our official reset button, and resolutions are a tradition that comes with that.
However, resolutions don’t have to come only once a year. Deciding that you want something different for yourself or your life is something that can come at any time; it is literally always an option. Whether a whisper or a revelation, deciding that there are things that you want to change can come at any given time. With that said, at any given time, you have the right to change what you don't like.
When you realize that, it seems silly that you spend genuine time reflecting on the direction of your life only once a year. Making resolutions should be something that you’re doing constantly and deliberately. They’re not a one-and-done notion either; they take time and adjustment and failure and rejection before they stick. So many resolutions are let go about halfway through January for fear of failure and acceptance of the way things are rather than realizing now necessary perseverance is.
So this year for your resolutions, do them exactly the way you want to, how you want to, and whenever you want to. You can write them down, or you can just think about them. You can plan them out or decide what you want for yourself in the moment. You can keep them in the quiet or proclaim them to the masses. Whatever they are, do them to better yourself and well-being.
When you know that you have constant do overs to do right, you can’t fail.
