Are New Year Resolutions Good?
It’s that time of the year and the thing to do is to create a list of new year resolutions. I have done so in the past. I realize now that I was not creating a list of resolutions but something else, and I will explain why this is important in my conclusion.
1. The case for resolutions — the spirit of the new year
After working or schooling throughout the year, Christmas festivities and their conclusion bring on a kind of fear. Fear that the feelings of happiness that were brought on by the festivities will be gone never to be felt again. Hence, the new year is a welcome reprieve from the doom of mundane life.
2. The case for — a reference point and motivator
Human beings love to change and feel like they are making progress — especially to seem or be better than others. A list of things that would facilitate change and prove growth and progress is a clever way to go. Because we do get a sense of gratification and importance when we check things of a to-do list so why not create something that could refer to and which could potentially elevate us above others?
3. The case against — demotivator
On the other hand, and for some people, having resolutions highlights the previous year’s failures. And not the obvious failure of having unachievable grandiose resolutions, but the inability to be superhuman and be better than others. Resolutions become a deterrent because if you failed before, at some point when it’s January 23rd and you are worn out from your hyperactivity brought on from the excitement of the new year; it will be easy to fail again.
4. The case against — hard to implement, neglects the actual wins and can mask growth
I have realised that time management and self-management do not just mean tracking what you intend to do and be, they involve tracking what and who you have been. Creating resolutions can make us focus on things we wish to accomplish in 2020 and neglect things we did accomplish in 2019 that could be maintained and built upon. Sometimes what we focus on is not what we need to. What I mean is: resolutions are created by individuals for themselves and is restricted to their own concept of growth and development. There is more out there for us than we know.
Conclusion
I know you think this is a good point for me to give you my final verdict, but the truth is that I don’t have one. I don’t have one because I made the mistake most of you make. I did not know what kind of list I was making at the onset of my new year (which is my birthday by the way) in the past. A good first step to take is to discover that reflecting at the beginning of the year is wonderful however, the manner that you document your reflections can be to your benefit or detriment. To figure out what works for you, I say do your research and find out if you want to have resolutions, create a chart for milestones, create a prayer list, have a weird set of bucket lists or just have reviews individually or with friends. At the top of whatever you decide on write “consistency is the key”, highlight what you accomplished the year before and move on from there. All the best!
