I love the idea of everyone setting goals to work on themselves. Having goals keeps you mindful about your lifestyle, what you are content with, and what you would like to improve. I love working towards a goal and striving to better myself, but I cannot help but wonder why this mindset is strictly celebrated in January.
Why do we do this at the beginning of every year? What is it about one more year passing by that makes us feel like we need to be a new person?
Right now, New Year’s resolutions are basically a joke. Gym-goers are livid that their precious, sacred space is crawling with new people for the month of January. Libraries are filled with New Year’s resolutioners who told themselves they would start reading, while the grocery stores are clean out of fresh fruits, vegetables, and low-calorie options for people who decided that 2025 is the year that the diet will finally stick.
A negative attitude has developed that involves shaming people who start New Year’s resolutions, all because many people make resolutions and then quit. This negativity is embarrassing and unencouraging because we should celebrate people trying to better themselves rather than shaming them for being new at something.
My hot take is that we should practice this mindset of setting goals and wanting to be better year-round. My fitness journey started on a random Wednesday in March 2020 when I decided to be a runner. I started HITT videos on a Tuesday in November of 2021 and lifting on a Sunday in September of 2023. I practice healthy eating all year round, to the best of my ability, and when I notice that my habits start to shift, I try to recognize and evaluate right then and there. You can make and achieve goals at any point in the year, not just on January 1st.
People set too high, unattainable, and unrealistic goals for themselves. If you have relied on ice cream every day as your sweet treat, deciding one day that you will never have refined sugar again will be difficult to resist. Going from never going to the gym to seven days a week will not only make your body exhausted, but it will also be a severe adjustment to your routine.
Telling yourself that you want to be inclined to walk three days a week and do an ab workout video twice a week? Now, that is achievable. Deleting chips from your grocery list might seem like it would not do anything, but over time will eliminate that after dinner Doritos binge. Setting a goal of reading one book a month will likely help reduce the time you spend scrolling mindlessly on your phone. These small adjustments will turn into healthy habits over time, something easy to implement in day to day life.
This is not to say that New Year’s resolutions are bad; they just need to be realistic. We cannot just wake up on January 1st every year and decide to be a completely new version of ourselves unless we are prepared to be more driven than we have ever been.
It is also important to remember that one bad eating day, one skipped workout, one snoozed alarm, one unfinished book, one bad purchase, or one negative thought does not define you or the progress you have made. Putting setbacks in the past is how you get better and move on.
This year, when you notice that you are unhappy with your lifestyle and want to see a change, start today. Make an achievable plan that helps you build healthy habits so that you can see change no matter what month.