Why do we start every year with a bunch of resolutions only to break them within a week or less? Some people might have the determination and motivation to carry out their resolution till the end of January. But I haven’t met anyone, myself included, that keeps their resolutions till the end of the year.
The thought behind making new resolutions each year is the same as burning the old man at the eve of the new year. It’s all about the excitement of something unknown to us. And all about the hope and promise of what a new year might bring for us.
Whichever stage of life you’re at, the hope of a new year is enough to keep repeating the same old habits and promising to change yourself in the upcoming year. Regardless, the thinking behind resolutions is that if you start something at the perfect time, you will succeed.
But as resolutions have proven, there’s no perfect time to start or end anything; you just have to do it. Maybe doing it last minute might bring out your creative side, or it will be a complete failure. But you can’t rely on the possibility that it might work in your favor.
And it’s not only the new year that brings a sense of hope. Want to quit a habit? Start tomorrow. Want to join the gym? Let’s go tomorrow! Irrespective of the question, we always postpone to set the “perfect time.” We always try to set a “right” time, thinking that with the proper perspective, the task or goal will be accomplished successfully and we will emerge victorious. We think that by setting the perfect time, everything will run smoothly and nothing bad will happen. But life doesn’t work that way.
We have to accept the fact that we’re merely mortals and not in the least perfect. We have to then accept that we cannot control everything, no matter how hard we try and that at the end of the day, we created the concept of time and that itself is flawed. That, like the end of every year, all that really changes is the calendar; from 2018-2019.
At the start of the year, like Earth, you start rotating around the sun again. It’s the same old process. But that doesn’t mean that it’s your only chance at a new life, at learning a new hobby, or trying to eat healthy.
So if you want to turn over a new leaf, start now. Don’t wait for the perfect time. Because it doesn’t exist!