Every year many people around the world make resolutions that they want to accomplish in the new year. I guess it's based on the phrase "New year, new me!" But once February comes around we forget about the 15 things we wanted to change, habits to break, or go on an adventure that makes you nervous, so why make one in the first place? Every December we are then reminded of everything that we had yet to accomplish, which can cause some depression and negative feelings towards the direction our lives are going.
Don't get me wrong, making changes for the better is always a good deal, but why do we make them and never follow through with them? School, work, life, or responsibilities are always the answer to that simple question. I am guilty of doing this as well, which got me thinking about all the changes I had made over this past year that I never thought would happen, but again, that's life, right?
So why do we try to predict what the new year will throw our way when the year hasn't even started yet? We make lists in order to check the items off, but I bet if we actually wrote down this list, we wouldn't know where that list went to. Losing or "misplacing" the list is contradicting the reason we made the list in the first place. So why do we even bother, why do we get our hopes up for how amazing the next year is going to be based on a list?
For instance, in my 2016 resolution, I wanted to become less insecure, to not let my fears and anxiety stop me from experiencing all that life has to offer, but as 2016 started to show their true colors, I became more insecure than ever before. However, 2016 taught me how to deal with them and not let my insecurities obstruct my path. If looking at that list when I felt unsure about everything, would just be a buzz kill.
Not knowing is part of life, so why do we use January 1st as the starting point for a diet, working out, picking up a new hobby, or completing a project? Who says that all those have to start by the beginning of the year? Why can't it begin 4 months into the new year? In my opinion, starting something half way through the year is more impressive than at the beginning of the year (knowing how many months in you are is way harder mid-year). So for me, I am going to follow my heart, enjoy happiness, go through the emotions, and not hold back. That's my unplanned plan for the new year, but most importantly my plan is going to be open-ended and won't follow this sentence, ending with a period.