New Year's Eve is the last hurrah of the year. Your regrets, your triumphs, your failures and your successes circle through your mind. And, as the ball drops, you countdown to midnight, ringing in the new year with the mindset that this year will be your year, you just know it. You make a resolution, or a few, and you promise yourself that you'll stick to them, and you won't become another poor soul who makes a promise to themselves only for it to be forgotten or lost like a penny underneath the seat in your car. Nope, not this year. You will conquer this year and no one can stop you.
The whole "new year, new me" motto is great if you actually follow through with it. If you don't, you can join the forever growing club of endless people who quit their resolutions when they should've quit the job they hated, boy who treated them like dirt, or that horrible habit of collecting really expensive shoes that they will never, ever wear. People make these resolutions with the best of intentions, but sometimes life gets in the way and old habits die hard (which is part of the reason why I just cannot give up Taco Bell, no matter how hard I've tried). Here's a list of some of the most common New Year's resolutions I've heard:
"I'm going to exercise more/eat healthier"
Beginning Jan. 1, every gym will be jam packed with new people who have promised themselves that they're going to get in shape. The regulars will glare at the newcomers and count down the days until mid February when people begin to start dropping like flies. People will trade treadmills for couches and bananas for brownies. Instead of having yet another kale salad, they'll let their cheat day turn into a cheat life, having sweets and junk food every single day. Their refrigerators will stop being filled with fruits and veggies, and potato chips will take their rightful place in the cupboard once more.
"I'm going to quit smoking"
Some drop the habit cold turkey, others use the patch. Everyone has their own way of trying to stop inhaling whatever substance puts them at ease. But, eventually, the stress builds up and instead of finding other ways to let off some steam, they're back to their old habit.
"I'm going to stop talking to him/her"
We all know someone who talks to a person who is toxic to them, who they need to drop and run from as if they're a ticking time bomb. They'll swear up and down that they're going to delete their number, unfollow them on social media, and erase them from their memory. They'll do all right until a text pops up on their phone or when it's late and they're feeling so alone, then they go running back for more disappointment.
"I'm going to spend less money"
Come the first of January, you will aggressively save your money and greatly minimize expenses. But then, you'll get a couple of paychecks and want to reward yourself for your hard work, but that one cute shirt turns into "Oh my God, there's a shoe sale. Wait, 50 percent off? I can't say no to that." Say goodbye, once more, to your cash.
"I'm going to drink less"
Life really gets in the way for this one. Good or bad, you always find an occasion to drink. But, you did really well for the three days you tried. Now, go ahead, tip it on back to your failed resolution.
"I'm going to be less stressed"
You'll take up yoga, go on walks, write in a journal—anything that could help you feel calm, cool and collected. You'll count to 10 when someone starts pissing you off, but eventually you'll have to count to 20, then 30, but not even that can lower your blood pressure. There's just too much to do and not enough hours in the day—cue the stress.
"I'm going to travel more"
You guarantee you will be making more time to travel; more vacations to exotic places to help you become a well-rounded and experienced person. Unfortunately, your boss won't let you have as much time off as you need to travel to LA, Seattle, and NYC, and money doesn't grow on trees, so you're stuck. Traveling from the fridge to the couch is less expensive and indulging in "House Hunters" will have to do.
"I'm going to quit the job I hate"
Sounds like a great idea until you remember all the bills you need to pay, the food you need to buy, and that cute shirt you've been wanting for the last week. You convince yourself that you can survive working just a little bit longer...and then that little bit longer turns into the next New Year's Eve.
All of these are great resolutions, but they lack backbone because we fail to follow through with them. I hope you make resolutions that will better yourselves or your lives—I'm rooting for you. May this be the year our lives start kicking ass. Cheers.
