The Gregorian New Year is upon us. The Jewish New Year has come and gone, and the Chinese Lunar New Year will be upon us shortly. But now, we are days away from another night of wild parties, pleasant nights in and just being with the people we love.
Traditions for ringing in the new year are super cool. They differ around the world. Some are more commercial, and some are more embedded in religion. In America, we have a few general traditions: kissing at midnight, popping champagne bottles and watching the ball drop in Times Square.
Another thing we do is make resolutions. I've done that, amongst other things. My friends and I have written wishes on balloons that we let deflate until the next year, written notes to ourselves that we look back on, had small get-togethers filled with food and pretty clothing even though we're just staying in. However, none of my resolutions, or traditions, have been consistent. I want to change that this year.
Every year I make a resolution of some kind, most of us do. I've told myself I'll lose weight, I'll be more active, I'll write everyday, I'll get straight A's, I'll make my bed... you get the picture. The thing is, I never really keep up to my resolutions. Hell, I don't even remember what my resolution was this past year. What I do know is that I made lifestyle choices over the past year. I've eaten healthier, I've lost weight, I've become consistently active, I've written some prose and essays that I'm proud of, I've stayed on the dean's list since I arrived at college, and no, I haven't made my bed more than 40 percent of the time, at home or at school.
But my accomplishments aren't because of any simple resolution. They're because I wanted to be my best me, and that comes with a lot of time, hard work, determination, backpedaling, frustration, crying, laughter and therapy. It's not because of a flighty promise I make as I look bitterly at my past failures. I would rather consider, blithely, my successes from the previous year and use them as a tool for motivation, and find a persistent patten that works for me and makes me a better person.
That being said, this year, I resolve to not make a single resolution. New Year's Eve I won't stake a claim about what will come. Yes, I will make conscious decisions that'll make me, and those around me, happy and better, sure, but I won't promise consistency. We're humans, and we make mistakes. We pick ourselves up when we fall, but when we face what we view as failures, we often regress. This year, I don't want to be set back by my pre-determined self-deprecation. I want to move past that.
This year I'll work towards my consistent goals and do what I must and want to do to continue down a path of success in and out of school. I'll work to balance my social life with work and at being healthier and happier.
But I won't make a resolution this year.
