New Year, New Me
2017 was a year full of ups and downs with highs and lows. It was a year of change for people, cities, nations and the world as a whole. As one year passes, another arrives, and people always hope the new year will magically be better than the last. In reality, if one wants change, they need to motivate themselves and make that change happen. Year by year, if you just keep saying the next year is going to be better than the last, you will be wasting your time if you are not taking any initiative. The best way to give yourself a better new year, is to make a New Year’s Resolution and stick to it. Although people are notorious for breaking them, there are certain strategies people use.
Making a New Year’s Resolution can mean so many different things. One might want to get healthier, read more, travel, make a new friend or give up a habit. It could be anything. In most cases, this change people want is something that has to come from within. This is because what people usually want to change is something about themselves because, as it is said, we are our own toughest critic. People might write their resolution down, tell it to someone or keep it to themselves, but the most important thing is sticking to it. It is important to remember that as years pass no one gets younger; a year passes and another 365 days is lost. People who have the motivation to make a resolution and truly believe the saying, “New year, new me,” will not only become happier in the new year, but will also feel accomplished.
Throughout history, it has been shown that people simply do not stick to their New Year’s Resolutions. In 2017, around 40% of Americans made New Year’s resolutions, and 80% of that group gave them up by February. The most popular resolution was to lose weight/eat healthier. This is one of the hardest resolutions to stick with, because food can be like an addiction. Losing weight or eating healthier is only one of endless different resolutions one could make. Instead of simply saying I need to lose weight, you could say I’m going to get a gym membership and get a trainer. Sometimes we need help accomplishing our goals, but the initiative always needs to come from the individual.
The best way to stick with a resolution is to start small and work up. You could either start small with the resolution, or the amount of time you do your resolution for. You could start with a resolution that could have a smaller impact on your life, and work up from there. Or you could choose any resolution, but start with a small, amount of time, like a month, and work up from there. Nothing comes easily, but change can never happen without initiative and a little bit of risk. Relationships are also a very important part of resolutions. Having someone who you trust and who can help you stick to your resolution can not only be motivating, but can make sure you stay on track. Also, keeping positive is important in sticking with a resolution. Overall there are many different techniques into sticking with a resolution, you just need to find what works for you.
If someone makes a New Year’s Resolution to give up gluten for five months, as simple as this might seem, nothing is that easy. This person could write their resolution on a piece of paper and hang it on the refrigerator door. Each time they open the fridge and get a loaf of bread out, they will see their note on the fridge door and think new year, new me.
When I asked Marco Barosi, a current junior at Cheshire Academy who attended Grace for three years until this year, about New Year’s Resolutions, he commented, “They are pointless, unless you actually want to stick to them. There is no point in doing them, unless you have a good reason.”
I then spoke to Simon Wigdor, a current Grace freshman, on his opinion on New Year’s Resolutions, and he said, “I did a New Year’s Resolution to go to the gym everyday last year, but it started to have conflicts with other commitments, so I brought it down to four times a week.”
When a goal is made, a feeling of happiness and hope is created that not only gives motivation, but ensures a feeling of satisfaction. So, for 2018, it is not too late to make a New Year’s Resolution. It could be big or small, but make sure it benefits you and or others positively. As the coldest months of the year aproach us, change something to make them a bit warmer.