Reinventing New Year’s Resolutions

Another year has come to an end, and a new year and decade has just begun! During January, hundreds of thousands of people create New Year’s resolutions. 

However, there are individuals who deem New Year’s resolutions impractical or pointless. A third year student from Redeemer explains, “I don’t usually make New Year’s resolutions because I think they are silly to create right before the new year. If something isn’t going well, then why wait? I try to be proactive”. A fourth year student adds, “New Year’s resolutions fall at a weird time, just between semesters. If I was going to commit to something new it would be at the beginning of the school year”.

Both of these students raise valid points, which is why I think that we need to re-evaluate the way that we view New Year’s resolutions. In fact, Head Trainer at OK Fitness, Owen Kurvits suggests a new outlook on resolutions:

“If there’s a change that needs to happen, then it needs to happen now. At the same time, there is a general energy that surrounds a new year and it can be a helpful tool to reflect on 2019 and use that energy to propel yourself to make positive change in 2020.”

While there is nothing wrong with creating New Year’s resolutions, we cannot limit the introduction of change and growth in our lives to January. If we identify an area of our lives that needs to be altered, then the change needs to be implemented  immediately. Keeping that in mind, this does not mean that we should boycott New Year’s resolutions. The start of a new calendar year can signify a blank slate or fresh start, which can serve as a huge motivator for making resolutions. 

 As great as “making a change” sounds, sticking to that change has always been something that I have struggled with. It seems as though every year I make the same resolutions but by the time February rolls around, my so called resolutions are long forgotten. As students, the saying “there aren’t enough hours in a day ” couldn’t be truer. Ask any of your fellow classmates and I’m sure they would all say that there is something in their lives that they wished they had more time to do or prioritized. 

Kurvits shares his advice on how to ensure success when setting goals. Although Owen usually works specifically with individuals who have health and fitness goals, his tips for success can be applied to resolutions of any kind. 

“Number one, create a plan—a New Year’s resolution without a plan is just a wish. Once you actually have a plan you can answer the questions of the what, when, where, why, and how. You have a system that you can actually work with and follow through with. If you think you can just make a resolution and hope it’s going to happen, you’re wrong. The other side of this is in order to make your plan work you need to have accountability. These are the two best ways to follow through with your resolution.”

  As you enter into this New Year, take the time to reflect, identify the areas in your life that need change and implement a successful system to achieve your goals. You may find that by February you aren’t as diligent in keeping up with your New Year’s resolution—and that’s okay. Rather than giving up, try and adopt a new outlook or mantra on your resolution!