Another year has passed. That’s right; for all those who missed it, 2010 is no more after the glorious New Year of 2011 was ushered in a little over a week ago. That would mean, if my calculations are correct, over half of all New Year’s resolutions have already been either A: modified due to the extreme difficulty, or B: dropped altogether.
But at least these people made an effort. I, myself, forgot to come up with a New Year’s resolution and am feeling absolutely horrible about it. Now, I’ll have to wait at least another year to even think about modifying my behavior.
Because, really, isn’t that what the New Year is about? Of course it is. It’s about looking back and seeing how terrible you have been and then, stricken with guilt, you make an irrational, impossible vow to somehow “change” yourself in the next year, just like everyone else — right?
Some of the most popular New Year’s resolutions, according to USA.gov, in the U.S. include: drink less alcohol, lose weight, volunteer to help others and manage debt. Now, at face, these are all valid, albeit generic, resolutions that, if committed to, could have lasting affects on an individual.
The thing is the majority of these resolutions will never have the chance to instill those lasting affects. This is because the individuals simply do not think them out very well.
Some resolutions even come off the top of the head at midnight, as if that is the time to be mulling over your future life goals. These are often made with little preparation, resulting in minimal commitment ever being directed toward them.
Even so, the effort is always there to begin with.
For the next couple weeks, the Sanderson Center and every other gym in America will be overrun by a countless mob eager to lose this and tone that.
And there are the select few who will lose that 10 pounds and better their lives, but for the majority of the new weight watchers, their new undying love with getting fit will soon taper off like a failing marriage into a cold distant relationship, where even seeing a Bowflex commercial is sickening.
Hopefully, this makes it painfully obvious that New Year’s resolutions are nothing but a way to get a kickstart, and unless someone is severely dedicated, the commitment will fade. That being true, the focus of New Year’s resolutions should not be on “changing” ourselves, but rather on broadening our life experiences.
Take, for example, the person who, for his New Year’s resolution, wants to drink less alcohol. Maybe this person (who will be a woman for example purposes) will vow to drink only on the weekends, and for a month or so, she undoubtedly succeeds.
But soon, one of her best friends gets an incredible job offer in the middle of the week and so everyone is going out to celebrate. She goes and, consciously or unconsciously, breaks her resolution. She would assuredly feel guilty the following day and would question her ability to commit to anything, perhaps even harming her self-esteem. No one wants that.
The solution to these woes is changing the resolution idea altogether.
First, select three or four significant days of the year. It could be a birthday, holiday, anniversary or whatever. This will make your resolutions more personal, and not just something everyone is doing. Take these three or four days and try to make a different “resolution” on each one. Write it down. Now.
Second, the understanding of a “resolution” has to be altered. Do not think of a resolution as just a way to better yourself. Think of it as a way to experience new things. Like, instead of losing weight, say you will take a rock climbing or yoga class.
A statement like this is much less threatening and demanding. Plus, even if you do give it up after a few weeks, you have still expanded your repertoire of experiences.
So don’t make so much of an effort to change yourself. It sounds cliché, but focus on broadening your horizons. The chances of you actually accomplishing your goals are much higher, and it helps you to attain those goals with much less stress.
Micah Green is a junior majoring in communication. He can be contacted at
[email protected].