Planning Ahead: Your New Year’s Resolution

Each year, millions of people promise themselves things on December 31^st and want to keep that promise throughout the upcoming year, but for most people who make resolutions…they normally aren’t kept. Last year, my resolution was to start going to the gym. Less than 6 months later, that membership was cancelled and I told myself I’d start again in 2017. There are a lot of reasons I didn’t keep my resolutions and I want to avoid those mistakes again next year.

I believe that we as a society hold New Year resolutions way too high. We beat ourselves up when we don’t achieve them, and I don’t think that’s right. Each week, I make little goals for myself. That goal might be ‘go to grocery store and pick up paper towels’. Some weeks I may achieve that goal and other weeks I may not. On the weeks I don’t achieve my goal, I don’t sit on my couch and feel bad for myself…so why do we do that to our non-achieved New Year resolutions?

This year, my resolution for New Years is to not have one. Yep, you read that correct, I will not be having a New Years resolution. I’m eighteen and I just want to live my life! I don’t want to pay a monthly fee to a gym I won’t go too because in my heart of hearts, I know I won’t go to the gym even if I made it my resolution to shed 10 pounds by June of 2017. I don’t want to make a resolution that I know I won’t keep, so I just won’t make one. I’m happy with my decision and I definitely plan on keeping it that way!

If you chose to have a New Years resolution this year, good for you! If you don’t achieve that goal by the mid-point of 2017, don’t feel bad! A New Years resolution is just as important as a weekly resolution! Don’t hurt yourself to achieve the goal or blow out your entire savings! Be wise and responsible and make sure that you are happy with your resolution. Entering a New Year is supposed to be fun and stress free, you are supposed to drop the stress of the previous year and go into the New Year brand new. Don’t shape your resolution over last year’s issues, and don’t enter the New Year worrying about last year’s news! Happy New Year!