Blue Monday is known as the most depressing day of the year and it happens to be the day after I am writing this article. The day is associated with many upsetting factors such as poor weather, the amount of time passed since Christmas and most notably, the day most people have officially given up on their New Year’s resolutions. Giving up on New Year’s resolutions feels like it’s part of the process but it doesn’t need to be as long as you are thoughtfully considering the goals you want to see reflected in your 2025.Â
One of the biggest things that has prevented me from making new goals throughout the year is the pressure to start new habits on January 1st. Part of the goal-making process is being able to adapt and modify your goals as time passes. Perhaps you realized the goal of going to the gym every day is unrealistic. It’s more effective to go back and assess how you can best proceed with your resolutions instead of dedicating time to a goal that can’t be accomplished effectively.Â
With this in mind, reflecting on the progress of your goals every couple of weeks is important to proceed on the right track. Taking a step back and questioning if you are accurately meeting your goals allows for more effective accomplishment all around. Asking questions such as: “Is this the progress I was hoping to reach by now?” or “how can I ensure that the end goal is reached?” creates the space to remember your goals. Personally, I find that if I don’t actively check in with myself, I forget the goals I made at the beginning of the year and eventually fall back into old habits I was hoping to break.Â
Being realistic is one of the most essential aspects of making your resolutions stick. One of my first articles for HerCampus focused on the unrealistic expectations associated with being “That Girl” which I recommend taking a look at after this piece (quick self-promo). With constant access to social media, comparing ourselves to people we don’t even know is so common. It’s impossible to replicate someone’s “perfect life” when we all have our own unique routines and expectations. Focusing on how to make small changes to improve can be much more effective than hoping for major changes right away. With that in mind, while searching for inspiration on the internet can be helpful, your goals ultimately need to be your own to be effective. Â
New Year’s resolutions are not supposed to be set in stone and finalized on January 1st. It’s important to constantly check in with yourself and your ever-changing desires. If a resolution doesn’t work out, take a step back and see what needs to be changed. Whether it’s an unrealistic goal that needs to become more accessible or finding you just don’t care about the resolution anymore. Recognizing when things need to be changed is the biggest step to keeping those resolutions relevant to your life and goals.