According to a recent ComRes poll, the top five New Year's resolutions include:
- Exercise more (38 percent)
- Lose weight (33 percent)
- Eat more healthily (32 percent)
- Take a more active approach to health (15 percent)
- Learn new skill or hobby (15 percent)
You're probably not surprised, right? I know that I, personally, make every single one of those resolutions each year...and sometimes they don't work out as well as I'd planned. But that's the beauty of each new year; it's a fresh start, a blank slate.
Many people love to mock the "new year, new me" mindset, and I understand that to some extent. If you can somehow implement healthy eating/exercise habits into your life overnight, good for you! But, for most of us, that just isn't the case. However, success is not measured by whether you go to the gym 7 days a week or 2 days a week, rather it is measured by the personal effort put into achieving your goal.
For this reason, I believe that New Year's resolutions are a crucial aspect of personal growth. The idea of setting goals has been something hammered into my brain for as long as I can remember - my parents, teachers, and mentors all seemed to think that this was a relevant tactic for success. And I suppose sometimes older people are wiser than me, what a concept! My goals are the reason I work so hard in school, try my best to stay active, and maintain a healthy spiritual life; these are the things that hold my life together, and keep me from going insane. Without goals, honestly, what is the point of anything? Life would be an aimless, thoughtless walk that leads to nowhere. Resolutions are just one way to set these goals into motion.
When making a resolution or goal, I try to envision what it will feel like to succeed. In high school, my newspaper teacher always said to "begin with the end in mind," and I have kept this quote close to my heart when taking on any new challenge. One thing people tend to get mixed up in their mind regarding resolutions is the thought that whatever challenge they're taking on must occur overnight. This could not be further from the truth; start SMALL people! If you're trying to lose weight, maybe just remove one unhealthy food from your diet each week - any life change takes time, and there's no way around it. Focusing on your end goal is so important, and a sure way to help you stick to your goals.
Essentially, people need to stop hating on New Year's resolutions. There are so many beautifully freeing things about new years, and we should embrace them rather than mock them. Do what makes you feel like the best version of yourself. Do what makes you healthy. Do what makes you happy. Here's to a 2018 full of growth and joy!