So, yesterday was the first day of a New Year. Happy 2017 Everyone! How many of you made a New Year's resolution? A lot, right? Everyone seems to make one, but no one ever sticks to them. Here is why your New Year's resolutions are completely pointless and you will never be able to actually stick with them. Every year on December 31, we decide it is time to choose to make a huge decision. We think because it is a new year it is time to change so we can have a better year this year than we did the previous year. On New Year's Eve, it seems like everything and anything is possible, the holiday is about the future and looking forwards, so this should make perfect sense, but it doesn't. Changes are possible, but a new year and a silly promise are not going to make them happen. Change takes motivation and hard work over time, not because society has deemed it necessary to force ourselves to change.
When people make these silly resolutions, they are thinking about what others will think of them for making one or what they should be doing in their life that they are not. These things can range from eating better, to stopping smoking, to changing your look, and beyond. The problem is that if you make this change because of what others will think, you won't succeed. Changes to oneself should be made only for your own benefit. Start small and work hard. Instead of promising to always eat healthy, chose to eat a balanced meal once a week, then when you have that down, move to once a day, then twice a day, then every meal. A gradual change is still beneficial as long as it is what YOU want. January 1st is not the best day to make this decision.
Many people are hungover (or still drunk) and never stick to what they said. Choose a random day to make big changes and you may actually be successful in them. Many times, when people make these resolutions, they shoot way too high in their excitement. They push themselves too far too fast. This is why I say a small step by step plan over time is the best way to go.
Picking a specific day to start a whole new life is kind of like a really bad joke. It's like that crazy dream everyone has had where they are naked in public and horribly embarrassed. It's unrealistic and highly unlikely that one day will completely make such a huge difference in your life. If you are really committed to making some changes, waiting until January 1st is ridiculous. Next time you realize you need to make a change, do it immediately.
New Year’s resolutions are a huge waste of time because there is this silly little thing called life that gets in the way of everything. To hold yourself to promises every year, to reinvent yourself, to even plan your daily life, it is crucial you realize that we are only human. No one person on this Earth has control of everything. You can't determine that you will be able to stick to what you say in one moment of life. If you are not happy, you are the only one responsible for that, but you can't change just by making a New Year's Resolution. Instead of a resolution, why not make yourself a promise to do the best job you can with what you have been given and turn your life into a beautiful adventure.
