The cliche phrases that come with each new year cluttered my social media feeds as the first of the year rapidly approached. "New year, new me", "A fresh start", "New year, new start", "Cheers to a new year and a chance to get it right again". As I saw these key New Years phrases, I wondered, what is the significance of the clock striking midnight on December 31st each year that makes us feel invincible and capable of changing old habits? Why aren't we capable of committing to these resolutions we make any other day of the year? Is it the sparklers? The fireworks? The ground poppers? Or is it simply the magical feeling that encompasses the crisp, cold holiday weather?
Whatever the reason, there's no denying that the new year induces people to make resolutions, no matter how manageable or unrealistic. There's the typical resolutions: losing weight, eating healthier, quit smoking, quit drinking. But why does everyone turn to these typical negatively shallow resolutions? I understand wanting to better yourself and set high goals for what you want to change, but why in the way of seemingly self-hatred? Why do people always focus on the physical things they want to change about themselves? It seems like people target these physical features hoping that if and when they are changed they'll somehow feel better about themselves. Will losing those 20 pounds make you a better person? Will quitting smoking suddenly give you a better outlook on life? The reality is that NO, in the long run, making those shallow resolutions to change physical aspects won't alter your personality or self worth.
But then the perplexing question is what does define you as a person in this new year? If you can't make resolutions to change your physical health, then what else is there? We need to think deeper as a society in terms of this. There are so many resolutions out there that are less thought of and undervalued. Maybe we should focus on our insides and on resolutions that can make us better people in general. Some of the resolutions that made me smile when I saw them on my Twitter feed were: treating people better, doing random acts of kindness, spending more time with family and friends, enjoying life more and helping people out more. The thing all of these resolutions have in common is that they are all inwardly directed and self-fulfilling.
Now you might think well what if I do want to lose weight? What if I do want to quit smoking? What if I want to spend more time with friends and family too? How would it be possible to make of these new resolutions fit into my current life. The answer is, you need to look at how you live life. Making resolution and putting them into a conflicting lifestyle that isn't parallel with your resolutions is setting yourself up for failure. Making a resolution to lose weight, thinking it will make your year the best year, isn't going to work if you're not happy inside. Focusing on inwardly directed resolutions along side with the physical ones is a happy experiment. Maybe it's just time to stop making unrealistic resolutions and just simply commit to living a happier, all around better life, instead of just focusing on one or two individualistic resolutions.
You might be wondering what my cynical ass chose as my resolutions. Sure, I'll share. My resolution this year is to be a better and happier person. Period. But then again, that is something I've been striving towards forever. I think that each day is an opportunity to make your life what you want it to be, regardless of resolutions made on December 31st. The first day of a new year isn't going to magically change you as a person, but it is a new, fresh day to start living towards a better life, just like every single day is. Take each day and live as that better person this new year; you may just be surprised where you're at by December 31st, 2015.
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