It’s that time of the year where everyone is deciding on what to do for their personal
resolutions. On January 1st, Twitter was buzzing with phrases like “new year, new you” and
“page 1 of 365” as social media enthusiasts began their fresh start in 2016. New Year’s
resolutions are both a good and bad aspect of our culture. The biggest problem among those
trying to form new habits is commitment.
I constantly hear of people all through the month of January trying extremely hard to stick to
their resolutions, but I often don’t see any action taking place. I think many of us attempt to
change too many aspects of our lives at once and don’t set realistic goals for the upcoming
year. The key to having a successful year is not trying to change yourself persay, but consider
forming new habits little by little. The other important thing to remember is that no one is perfect.
It’s simply human nature to make mistakes or forget things once in awhile. We hear about those
who put tons of effort into dieting and trying to workout as soon as the year begins; some want
to form better habits like not staying up late or being a better person. These are all nice
resolutions to begin with, but keeping the motivation isn’t always easy. In order to stay
committed to something like a New Year’s resolution, there has to be some sort of a “self
contract.” Without being able to stay on track and planning for what you want to accomplish,
having a resolution isn’t even worth it.
I think the idea of a New Year’s resolution is a nice idea, but making it too unrealistic or trying
to change too many things about yourself isn’t helpful. I believe being honest with yourself and
understanding that you will probably make a mistake is highly crucial. You are still the same
you, whether you eat that donut or forget to do your homework. The way that you handle
situations and trust in yourself that you can conquer those mistakes, that is where the real
change comes into play.
