10 Reasons To Make …or Not To Make New Year Resolutions
Love them or hate them each brand New Year brings with it, this unspoken drive, this somewhat ‘new’ beginning, the opportunity and ability to start afresh. Resolutions… to do something different, to make a change, to achieve a goal.
Yet, for some, it also seems somewhat farcical – after all, you don’t really need a ‘new date’ to start afresh and anew, or do you?
5 Reasons to Make New Year Resolutions
If you’re on the fence about resolutions this New Year, but are generally veering towards them, here are some reasons why you really should…
A new beginning
If you relish the idea of a new beginning, a new start date, then resolutions are a perfect place to start. Whether you are going for a ‘theme’ for the year, detailed step-ups in your professional life, a more general peace and calm for yourself or a specific exercise or fitness goal, there is little as energising or as focussing as a brand New Year to start on your goal.
Gives you meaning and purpose
This depends completely on the type of personality you are. If resolutions drive you rather than scare you, if goals make you feel ‘on purpose’ and ticking things of makes you feel accomplished, then it is very likely that making New Year’s resolutions will help you find both the focus and the satisfaction in ticking off accomplishments.
Things are already ship-shape and ready to move-out
If you’re at the point in life, when things are beginning to fall in place. When you’ve spent, much of the past year or years building up and putting things in place then, making some resolutions and some specific goals on driving things forward is perfect to help you keep on track.
You enjoy looking forward and making plans
If you’re one of those who truly enjoy making plans and feel excited about possibilities of the various goals can bring, then without a doubt, resolutions are for you.
Excitement and purpose
Whether you already know what you want to accomplish in the New Year or simply have this vague gut-feeling that this coming year is going to be a great one, if the idea of resolutions, goals and accomplishments, fill you with excitement and purpose, then you know for sure that you need to get on and get to that list of resolutions you’ve been itching to make.
In the end, if resolutions are what drive you forward, embrace them. Dig deep and feel the excitement that new goals bring. Go ahead a make it your best year ever.
However, if you’re still not convinced, trust yourself and know, you really don’t have to do what everyone else does…simply read on.
5 Reasons NOT to Make New Year Resolutions
While everyone else is busy getting ready to embrace a new beginning, and you simply cannot understand what the fuss is about, then be assured that not making New Year resolutions are a perfectly fine way to live too.
If you have made New Year resolutions, steadfastly each year, only to find yourself, disappointed and disheartened by the middle of January then perhaps it time to reconsider the practise. If any of the following points ‘speak’ to you, then be confident and embrace what is right and true for you – even if it means deviating from the norm and what ‘most’ people would do.
It stresses you out
If the mere thought of goal-setting makes you break out in to cold sweat, for whatever reason that may be, then be rest assured that making resolutions is not for you. The simple idea that by the end of 365 days you’ll be x, y or z – simply because you made a statement saying so, does not necessarily make it come true.
It’s just an arbitrary date
The New Year is, in reality an arbitrary date. Right now, we follow what is known as the Gregorian calendar, the table below, from Wikipedia, gives you some idea as to when this idea of the first day of the year came about. And you know what the funniest thing is, the date was entirely dependent on which country you were in at that time!
Dates of Adoption of Gregorian calendar
| Country | Start numbered year on 1 January | Adoption of Gregorian calendar |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 1600 | 1752 |
| Russia | 1700 | 1918 |
| Tuscany | 1721 | 1750 |
| Great Britain and the British Empire except Scotland | 1752 | 1752 |
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar
In fact, had we continued with the Julian calendar, the coming year would have been something like 2458118.
If you believe that the beginning of the New Year seems to be just some arbitrary reset, you’re not entirely wrong. After all,
Every day is a new beginning, every moment is a fresh start
You do goals your own way
If you work to a different schedule, whether it’s in 12 week blocks or 12 hour to do lists, doing goals your own way may be the wisest thing for you. Perhaps your goals are not tied to some physical or external success; maybe you need bigger, longer breaks in between. However or whatever you think works best for you, you’re probably right.
You enjoy going down stream
If you enjoy going with the flow and letting things unfold, then maybe you should give New Year resolutions a miss.
Despite the idea of needing to stay on target and focus on a goal, there always comes a time when a lull and a break is much required. Perhaps you have come to that point where you know, you need to stop for a moment, to relax and to simply embrace and enjoy things as they are.
Maybe it’s time to enjoy gently floating down stream and opening up to possibilities and opportunities without pushing through.
Trust comes easily to you
Faith and trust may be words more often connected to religion, than New Year resolutions, however, while the majority of us, often find ourselves in a fear-derived, purpose-oriented existence, needing to make plans and set goals, if you are not that way inclined – fret not.
There is no one way, anyone has to be. When you know you’re in a good place and you believe whole-heartedly that things can only get better, and you are able to trust that they will – life is beautiful for you, even without resolutions.
Whether you do or don’t believe in the power and purpose of New Year resolutions, we wish you an amazing, wonderfully inspired, 2018 filled with laughter, love, joy and lots of adventure.
