The winter holidays have officially come to an end, which means that, for many people, the rush of the celebrations has died out and the beginning of the new year is finally sinking in. I consider January a trial month because of this, so for me, the real start of the ‘new year, new me’ trend has yet to come. For this reason, I wanted to discuss the lovely tradition of putting all of our hopes, dreams, desires, and ambitions on a piece of paper and proclaiming them as New Year’s resolutions.
Writing your New Year’s resolutions is a practice shared by many people around the world, and some shared motives are to start the new year with a positive attitude, to create a year- long to-do list, and to set out goals. This practice can help you lay out your intentions and manifestations for the year, setting small goals for each month or giving yourself challenges you wish to overcome.
However, these lists can also add feelings of pressure, anxiety, or even disappointment as the year passes by. While good resolutions could set the new year to be one full of self-love and inner peace, sometimes they could push you to be overly critical of yourself, or fill yourself with unnecessary pressure and harsh expectations. This is why I believe that New Year’s resolutions need a revamping of sorts, to focus on your inner and outer selves’ growth.
For example, a very common resolution is to lose weight or to ‘fit into a certain size’, but it’s also a goal that can bring a lot of negativity and dread to a person’s life. In addition, the immense societal pressure for us to look, be, and act a particular way can be overwhelming, as many (if not all) of us have been a victim of beauty standards. So, in this case, I believe that focusing on improving one’s health is a better starting point.
For starters, you could try new recipes (which might help improve your cooking skills. Two for one!), add fruits to your breakfast or dessert, or practice a new hobby involving physical activity like jogging, swimming, or even dancing out your stress every other day in your living room. These can help you improve your overall health, mood, and wellbeing, which are much more important than whatever number a scale gives you.
As January rolls out, and the beginning of 2024 is finally settling in, revisit your resolutions. Make changes, edit stuff out or add stuff in, but remember to make it a list of manifestations and goals that will help you grow into a happier version of yourself.
Now, you might ask yourself what my own resolutions are. Well, “pet more dogs” is number one on my list because, with my life being so full of turmoil, those small moments of peace are my priority. They help ground me and calm me down no matter how stressful my day turns out to be. That’s why I added it to my list, and that’s what I believe is the true reason behind coming up with new resolutions each year. Make your resolutions a love letter to yourself, your health, and your happiness.