by Kate Lewis for fluxo
What is a New Year’s resolution? It’s a promise to yourself to do something to improve your life or behavior. Try out a new hobby, attempt to kick a bad habit, maybe you think not drinking for the month of January will make you more interesting. The resolution can be anything as long as it serves to better yourself.
The discourse around New Year’s resolutions is nothing new. If anything, it’s a little tired. Either you buy into them or you don’t.
My biggest question for those who do buy into them is this: Why can’t you set goals at any other point in the year? We have free will. If you want to do something, just do it.
This may be a harsh take. I get that structure is helpful—sometimes you need a collective societal push to make a change in your life, and that's fair because we are human.
I hate to critique New Year’s resolutions because it’s kind of a “live and let live” thing. Why does it bother me that other people wait until a specific point in the year to make resolutions? It shouldn’t! Who cares what other people do with their lives! Unfortunately, I have a neurotic mind.
I guess I believe that you should make changes in yourself when you see fit. Wait until next year, or don’t. So if that’s in April, great. If it’s the end of the summer, amazing. January 1st? Fine.
To everyone who made New Year’s resolutions, I hope they are holding strong two days in. I hope you fulfill your goals. Truly.
At exactly 12:57am on January 1st, 2025 I was asked if I have any New Year’s resolutions. My response was immediate and simple: “I am always resolving.”
