The ball drops, the champagne pops, and it’s 2023. Another year down.
As December fades out and you start feeling those Christmas calories, the inevitable New Year’s resolutions filter in. I feel that the older I get, the quicker the year goes by, and I am right back at 12 A.M., January first. Having the same thoughts I have every single year.
This year I will work out every day. This year I will drink less. This year I will sleep more. Get off my phone. Order less takeout. And so it goes…
As I peeled my eyes open this New Year’s morning, awoken by the stale stench of old champagne and freshly fried bacon baps, I couldn’t bring myself to go through it again. I tumbled down the stairs in an eclectic outfit featuring items of mine from the night before and orphaned items from my fellow fallen soldiers. Draped over the furniture between the scattered shrapnel of the night before, my similarly attired friends groaned a morning greeting in my direction in between bites and sips of various hangover cures.
I looked outside and couldn’t help thinking to myself, nothing has changed. It wasn’t a sad thought, more of an observation. The weather was the same (a typical English grey), my friends were the same, I looked the same, I felt the same. The only difference? It was 2023.
Don’t get me wrong, I think it is great to set goals to better oneself. As a society, we are always thinking about ways in which we can improve ourselves and our lives. However, what I have come to think is, why do we put so much effort into improving ourselves at the beginning of each year? I started to wonder if I had ever had a New Year’s resolution that I have been 100% consistent with throughout the year and I could not think of one! So I decided that this year, I’m going to work on continuing the things that made me happiest in 2022. I am going to live my life more in the now instead of the rules of all of those resolutions.
Exercising More
Firstly, instead of just planning on “exercising more” or “losing weight,” which are both in the top three most common resolutions for most Americans, this year I want to just be more active. Last year, I started to realize that getting outside was essential as a mood booster. This was not something I ever would have thought would have worked for me. In fact, I used to despise my mother when she used to say “get outside” or “go for a walk.” I used to think, what on Earth will that do? But being active could be anything! Going for a walk with friends or exploring new areas are so much more fun than running on a treadmill for a half hour. This way you can adventure to new places, take in the scenery, get some fresh air and socialize all at once. At least to me, this is much more appealing than the inside of a Planet Fitness.
Clean Eating
“Eating Healthier” is another top resolution for many. Again, I do not disagree that eating healthy is better for your body and your brain, but sometimes it can be direly boring. You can only spruce up a kale salad so much. What I want to focus on more is eating well. Finding new eateries and recipes and hosting dinner parties are great ways to bring delicious and exotic foods into your day-to-day life. If tomorrow was my last day on Earth, I know my last thought would not be “Gosh I wish I still fit into that dress” but more likely “I am so glad I had that extra Cinnabon this morning!” Being a foodie myself, I can confirm some of my fondest memories are surrounding eating out or cooking for family and friends. This is something I am much more inclined to focus on than eating entirely “clean” (whatever that really means).
Saving Money
Lastly, another feature of the top five, is saving more money. I agree this resolution is super important and one I will be following, but in a different way. I want to put much less emphasis on materialistic things. It is so unimportant to have the trendiest clothes or tech. Instead, if I am going to spend money, I want to invest it in things I can gain from. Experiences, travel, and culture are elements that I know I will not regret spending money on. These are the things I will remember and that I will be enriched from. In terms of materialistic things, I am more in the mindset of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”
The most important thing about this year is following the truism “you do you.” So much about New Year’s resolutions can be about comparing ourselves to others, where we should probably remember that what we really want is a version that is just a little better than what we are now. I am the last person to stand at a pulpit and tell you what to do, but I am a huge believer in becoming a little better every day. So maybe these aren’t so much ‘irresolutions’ but more building blocks. Resolutions are so unattainable and frankly, they suck—we break them and we give up. Instead, let’s just try to be a little bit better every day and see where we get. See you back here in 2024!