It's finally over, folks. The new year is upon us, and we can say goodbye to 2016 for good. Most of us can probably agree that 2016 wasn't the best year we've ever had, and the amount of celebrities we lost recently is just the beginning. As we move into 2017, many of us are hoping for a much kinder year to come. Personally, I'm trying to be optimistic in the wake of the problems 2016 is leaving behind, but my version of looking ahead to the new year is a little different than many other people's.
Around this time every year, it seems everyone always asks me the same question: what's your New Years resolution? My mother is usually the first one to jump on it, and she sets off a chain reaction of friends and family wanting to know the same thing. I tend to toss around the first idea that pops into my head to placate them, but the truth is, I don't like making New Years resolutions.
Perhaps this seems untraditional. New Years resolutions are the small talk go-to right now, after all. For me, however, I've just never seen the point of making a resolution to last me an entire year.
Part of my reasoning for this is my terrible streak of broken commitments. I know myself, and every time I set out to do something long-term-- exercise, eat healthy, write more-- I stick to the plan for a little while, maybe a few months at most, and then I simply forget about it. Other responsibilities or distractions start crowding into my life, and I tell myself I'll get back on track tomorrow, that it's just a small break to catch up on everything else I'm doing. Eventually my resolve just fades into the void, and then there's no hope for me to retrieve it.
Of course, this problem doesn't apply to all kinds of resolutions. What if I just want to get another pet or go someplace new this year? Those ideas are a little easier to plan, and although they might require some money saving (and a lot of love and care for a pet), I'm more willing to follow through with them because they're big and exciting. They feel more significant to me than just trying to go to the gym once a week.
The reason I avoid these types of resolutions is a little more philosophical. It's impossible to predict the future. You could set out to do something grand at the beginning of the year only to have life get in the way later on, and your fantastic ideas have to be put on the back-burner while you deal with new twists and turns in your path. With this in mind, I don't really see the point in trying to carve out one road for yourself to follow. You never know what obstacles or interesting detours you're going to face. That's part of what makes life so enjoyable-- I would rather just hang on for the ride than try to dictate where my year wants to take me.
I suppose, in a way, vowing to not make a resolution is my own kind of commitment for the new year. It means I want to go forward as I always have been. I want to keep loving my friends, family, and girlfriend with all my heart. I want to give my all to my schoolwork and make my last semester in college count. I want to write, and read, and play video games, and never deny myself the simple pleasures in life, no matter where this year goes.
That's all I can ask of myself. The rest is up to 2017.
