New Year’s Resolutions push away change
With the start of the new year, resolutions are resurfacing in popularity. Whether it’s to eat healthily, exercise, study more, or develop a routine, resolutions cover a significant portion of January and February. However, they’re normally forgotten by about March and April.
New Year Resolutions are mere excuses to attempt to better one’s life. They give people reasons to try something for a month or two and eventually give up. Jennifer Cohen, a news writer for Forbes, a news website, says there are five reasons as to why resolutions typically aren’t achieved. “We fail to pick realistic goals, we don’t plan properly, we don’t make it a habit, we don’t have support, and we fail to track our goals,” Cohen wrote.
Psychology Today, a health website, states that resolutions aren’t effective because they are another example of procrastination. “They are about the coming year. I don’t have to start exercising or stop smoking right now, but only after the holiday season when I am back in my daily life. That is not now but later,” the article said.
If someone has a change they would like to implement into their life, they shouldn’t wait to do so. We don’t need the excuse of a New Year in order to “start fresh.” Every day is a new day, and I think we should go about treating it that way. Things that you feel would better your well-being are worth your time and energy, and you don’t have to wait for a specific milestone to find an opportunity.
We have opportunities, but unfortunately, most of them turn into missed opportunities. I’ve experienced this firsthand, as I also waited until the New Year.
My resolution was to cut red meat from my diet for an entire month. I wanted to see the effects that it could have on my health as well as my ability to focus and sleep. It is now Jan. 14, and I have successfully gone fourteen days without meat.
This wasn’t a difficult thing for me to do. I don’t like meat, so I don’t miss it in my diet. Because of this, it confused me as to why I waited until the New Year to attempt this.
We are all guilty of procrastination, but if it is going to affect your life positively, then just go for it. Don’t wait for a specific date or time, just do it and see what happens. Be specific and be realistic. Do what you can and instead of being discouraged with how far you have to go, be happy with how far you’ve come.
