Some of you won't like me very much after reading this article, but this is something that I feel needs to be said. Now that Christmas is over, there's one more celebration on the horizon that many people are already looking forward to and that celebration, my friends, is for the coming of the new year. By now, you probably already guessed what this article is going to be about, but I just have to ask you all to hold on and actually pay attention to what I'm trying to say, rather than get up in arms about it midway through--assuming you even make it that far into it.

Now, I know what New Year's is for people. Not only is it the beginning of the new year, it's also the beginning of a new chapter, a new start. From this mindset, stems individuals that make all sorts of promises--resolutions--on New Year's Eve, promises to themselves of how much better a person they'll be when it comes. These promises come in many forms. One could say that they're going to start being nicer to people, while another will say that they'll try to fare better in terms of romance. Then there's the all time favorite of aspiring to go to the gym and bettering yourself shape-wise. While I have no issue in particular with any of these resolutions, in fact, as a resolutioner myself, I honestly encourage this sort of thing. What I DO take issue with, though is how, more often than not, redundant they've all become.

New Year's resolutions, from what I've seen, have become nothing but a means to justify and encourage the continuation of the behavior of an individual. All of this talk about "new year, new me," is nothing more than a crutch that so many people use to ease their guilt about doing something they know full well is bad for them. It's like the YOLO of the final stretch of a year, and then when the year finally passes on and introduces the new, the same crap is being pulled. I absolutely can't stand that sort of thing.

Empty promises have to be one of my biggest pet-peeves. And there's no bigger empty promise than the New Year's resolution of someone that has no intention of carrying it out. These are the types of people that always make impossibly big resolutions, but are always the first ones to call it quits after about a week of doing it, if that.

Take the gym for example. So many people want to get in shape, hence why it's always such a popular resolution. I should know, I was one of them. It's also one of the most, if not THE most, put off resolution of them all. People that do this always spontaneously have some reason or excuse to not go through with it. They have a bad back, it's raining outside, there isn't a gym near their house, the list goes on. To those that actually do this, quit trying to fool yourselves and those around you. If you aren't willing to go through a little bit of discomfort to carry out your goal, you never had any intention of doing it in the first place.

Another note, for those of you that actually do make it into the gym. If you want to go to the gym and get back in shape next year, that's perfectly fine, but don't show up there just to show up and prove a point. Actually go there, work out, and keep doing it for longer than a week. By only going to go, not only are you insulting everyone that are there to get in shape, you're also insulting all of the resolutioners that fully intend to carry out what they promised. And another thing, why wait for the new year at all? If you're serious about working out, start earlier, develop a habit of going so when you actually start getting serious, you'll have a better idea of what you want and how you want to go about it.

The same kind of thing goes for the "I'll eat better," "love better," and "think better," resolutions as well. Guys, newsflash! most of these things actually go hand in hand, where you can't have one without the other, and as such, the same principle applies. If you want to diet, start early, don't do something ridiculous like going on some final splurge. If you want to be more romantic, or get your crush to finally notice you, establish something with them in advance. If you want to be a better thinker, don't do dumb stuff like go to a party you know will be full of bad decisions. By starting early, you not only show that you're being true to your convictions, but it will inspire you to keep on going when the new year finally rolls along.

And then there's my personal favorite, the resolutioners that claim that they'll leave all emotional baggage from the previous year behind and emerge a new person. Sorry to break it to you guys, but life just doesn't work that way. If you want to break away from the drama that goes on, then you have to confront it and get rid of it yourselves, not just will it away. But even then, things won't always go the way you want it. We live in a flawed world, and as a result; the flaws reflect on the people within it. There will always be a new challenge to face, as well as another form of heartbreak creeping around the corner. Using the new year to hide away from it will only do you more harm than good.

This is why I hold such admiration to those few that actually stick to their resolutions. Not only are theirs incredibly simple and reasonable, but they actually try to fulfill them to the best of their ability as well. That's how we all ought to be for the coming of this New Year. Making promises and then sticking to them is the only way things can get done, the only way to progress. And trust me, there won't be any progression if you're just sitting idly by on your couch, only saying what you'll do.

Now I know I probably offended a bunch of you--two of the three people that actually read these things, at most--but this is something that's always been on my mind, and I just thought I should share it. Freedom of Speech and all that.