Can you pinpoint the first time you stopped making New Year’s (NY’s) resolutions? For me, it was last year. Nothing inspired me enough to prompt any sort of change in my life, so I allowed myself to take the year off. Lo and behold…nothing happened. If anything, I made some exceptionally good changes in 2024. Yet, there were no New Year’s Eve (NYE) resolutions to thank. Just myself, and the lack of pressure to make a new change in my life.
The History of the New Year’s Resolution
NY’s resolutions can be traced back as far as 4,000 years ago with the Babylonians. Instead of January, their resolutions aligned with the planting of new crops, which was around mid-March. The NY’s resolutions you may be more familiar with were derived from Christianity in the 1700’s. Churches held night services on NYE, praying to God for the coming year. Over time, resolutions became less about praying to God and more about secularism: wellness, betterment, self-growth, and self-actualization became an essential part of the traditional NY’s resolution that we’ve come to know today. With 2026 approaching, however, our resolutions may be declining…and for valid reasons.
The Rise of Daily Self-Care and Wellness
Since 2020, I’ve noticed an increase in beauty and self-care, redefining what we once knew. For example, we’re now engrossed in daily get ready with me’s (GRWMs) which follow somebody chronologizing their routines on social media as they get ready for the day. There’s also the weekly Sunday Reset trend, which follows someone “resetting” their life every Sunday. This could include cleaning the house, going grocery shopping, exercising, and taking an everything shower, etc. I could argue that both these trends have both positive and negative impacts. However, one thing is for certain: we’re always being exposed to year-round wellness trends, which mitigates the purpose of a NY’s resolution.
Increasing Nihilism and Apathy
What’s the point of a NY’s resolution if nothing matters anyway? We already strive to challenge ourselves daily, so there is no need to create new hurdles. Life is hard enough. Gen Z already has the living, breathing nightmare that is the Job Market Crisis, in combination with the increasing costs of living. Or now more than ever, we don’t know if our jobs will be replaced by generative artificial intelligence (AI) before we even graduate. Though sometimes, it’s as simple as not making any resolutions because you don’t care. I definitely felt that last year, feeling mentally and emotionally drained. Maybe your resolution goes beyond a year; you want to make a drastic change in your life, and it’s going to take lots of time.
Being a Realist, Rather Than an Optimist
While it’s easier said than done, we must acknowledge our limits and respect them. We set boundaries, even for ourselves. I’ve grown enough to know when something is too outlandish or unrealistic of an ask—no, I’m not going to participate in the 75 Hard Challenge, because exercising every day sounds (and is) ridiculous. As the world around us gets increasingly more extreme, we should know to keep resolutions within the realm of possibility. Or, be self-aware enough to know that we probably won’t do them at all. We’re not always going to be jumping at the opportunity to make a new change every single year. It can add unnecessary exhaustion.
Nothing is Working/No New Ideas
Maybe we don’t want to add yet another failed NY’s resolution to the Resolution Graveyard…and that’s okay! I’ve had countless resolutions not work out the way I had intended, and I would always beat myself up for it. Realizing that not every resolution is going to work out (yet another reason why I didn’t make one last year) is a part of maturing. Many others have told me they’ve run out of ideas—whether that’s for better or for worse, I’m not sure. It’s very true, though, that it’s hard to come up with something new every year. Then you go searching for inspiration, and the internet tells you something absurd, like cross-country skiing or taxidermy.
I’d like to re-emphasize that just because you don’t have any 2026 resolutions, it doesn’t mean you’re not striving to better yourself and your life. Nor does it mean you don’t have something to look forward to next year. As mentioned previously, I didn’t have a resolution for last year. However, that didn’t stop me from instilling daily healthy habits that I’ll still carry into next year. I’d even argue that my lack of any NY’s resolution helped me, because it took away the pressure of achieving an expectation. It’s not about the resolution; it’s about your mindset. Just make sure you try to make the most of your day, and the rest will come naturally!