To make a New Year’s resolution or not to make a New Year’s resolution. Now that is the question.

I have a very short, very definitive, very steadfast answer to this dilemma: no. I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. I never have and I never will. To me, they’re empty promises you make on day one of the new year and give up on three weeks later. I don’t make empty promises to others nor to myself.

I had a teacher in high school who went around the room our first day back from winter break and asked all of us what our New Year’s resolutions were. When he came to me, I told him I don’t make resolutions and he spent the next five minutes trying to force me into making one. That didn’t happen. I asked him why I should make a promise to do something that I will eventually give up on because that’s the nature of New Year’s resolutions. He had no solid answer for me, just said that everyone has to have a resolution.

I’d rather strive to accomplish short-term goals that help me become who I really want to be, regardless of what society deems as success. What is the point of all these innately insincere promises?

Now, with that being said, I really do respect and admire so many of these New Year’s resolutions. Many actually have beautiful wishes, for themselves and for the people around them. And those resolutions can be kept. I’m not saying that all resolutions are thrown away within the first few weeks of January and maybe surviving into February. What I am saying is that most of them are. But the ones that aren’t are ones that I admire. They are made by strong people who stick with promises they make.

I’m not writing this to tell you to not make a New Year’s resolution. If you want to, go ahead and do so. I’m not stopping you, nor should anyone else. I simply don’t make resolutions. They don’t make sense to me. They’re insincere and shallow in my opinion and it’s something that I won’t do in my life. But that’s a personal choice.

I wish you a Happy New Year and hoped you enjoyed your holiday season. And, if you made a resolution, I wish you the best of luck with it.