A new year is like a fresh chapter in your book. It always feels like there are so many opportunities ahead of us regardless of how the previous year has been.
A tradition that is very popular worldwide is having New Year resolutions. These are promises you make to yourself to improve in certain areas whether it’s your fitness, finances or even your relationships.
Of late, people have been challenging the idea of having resolutions in the first place. But at the same time, there are still many who have managed to change their lives by having resolutions at the beginning of every year.
With this concept, there are both pros and cons. Let us investigate whether we should keep this tradition alive, or move on to something more effective:
1. They give you an optimistic start
The mindset you start your year with is very crucial. It sets the right tone for the rest of the year so when you have a positive outlook right from the beginning, you already have a head start.
Having a resolution can help add some positivity, even when you had a rough year before. And in case you didn’t manage to achieve all your resolutions last year, it still gives you hope that you can try again this year.
2. They give you direction
Having a healthy start to your new year also means knowing where you need to be. You need to guide yourself towards the person you want to be in future, and resolutions help with that as well.
The fact you know you want to stop drinking, for example, shows that you’re already on the right path, as compared to someone who knows they need to slow down on the alcohol but isn’t making any plans to do anything about it.
This can be very empowering and it also motivates you to take action.
3. They rarely focus on the process
There are also some reasons why resolutions are a challenge. One of them is, there is often no connection between the goal and the process.
You will hear goals like, “I want to drop ten kilos” or “save a hundred thousand by the end of the year,” when there is no proper plan in place to actually get there. Eventually, the resolution collapses because there is no real foundation.
4. They are hard to commit to
There is a reason why the success rate of resolutions has been dropping drastically. Many people only commit for the first few weeks but after that, they’re long forgotten.
This happens due to different factors including the fact that many of us are making resolutions without any real plan.
So what is the solution?
Arguably, having a resolution is better than not having any. But, it would be better to treat the process like a journey where you’re going through continuous changes, instead of magically expecting yourself to change on the first of January.
Also, support your resolutions with a realistic plan. That way you will know how to move from one milestone to the other.
