It’s that time of the year again where we all enjoy the company of our families during Christmas and then stay up with our loved ones again after six or so days to witness the coming of the New Year. It is with the coming of the New Year where people continuously attempt to attach themselves to a resolution that will enhance their experience of the next year with high hopes that they adhere to their goal or promise. I’m not against having goals or having a goal oriented mindset because as humans that’s what we are; we are goal-oriented beings. Now granted, having a New Year’s Resolution is probably not a serious thing to maintain and is probably only for those who face difficulties in having clear goals. In a way the New Year’s Resolution is a way for people to establish a new attitude and a better sense of direction. Popular New Year’s Resolutions (according to Wikipedia) include: learning something new, take time out of your busy schedule to volunteer somewhere, lose weight, improve social skills (probably my resolution this coming year), get more organized, and a lot more.

Losing weight is a slow process that requires time to build the discipline for in addition to the education and initiative to maintain this process. Learning a new language by yourself or just about learning anything by yourself is a difficult task for some people who may not be able to comprehend educational videos or readings as easily as others without any help. These are appropriate goals to abide to for an entire year. These are processes better executed in small steps not just for the reasonings mentioned before hand but they are also processes that are meant to keep people busy and motivated which are key elements in having a satisfying and rewarding lifestyle. When it comes to learning something new, there is no use in trying to cram all the information in one day thinking that you’ll know everything. It’s also not that useful to sign yourself up for every single community service opportunity thinking that you’re going to be equally engaged in each of them. And there is no use in fasting for an entire day and thinking that you’re going to see instant results when you get on the weighing scale. Part of the reason why these New Year’s Resolutions are time consuming is because they are meant to be enjoyed and be a form of self-discovery.

Now really when it comes to education and being healthy, these are really more life goals than they are resolutions to be adhered in only a year. Losing weight is followed by maintaining a lifestyle to keep the weight off and learning something new is to followed by holding and maintaining that knowledge to either have that information handy in a conversation or to apply in class. What I think a New Year’s Resolution does is serve as the catalyst to maintain a consistent lifestyle. Once a person is able to build the discipline to accomplish something for one year, there should be enough motivation and drive to continue carrying out that resolution into the future. So the question is should you have a New Year’s Resolution for 2017? For as long you have clear goals and morals you should be well and ready for the new year.