Danielle Kamp, Staff Writer
The New Year symbolizes a fresh start and hope for the future. It is a time for people to imagine new outlooks on life and anticipate what the next year of their life will hold.
Thus we have New Year’s resolutions.
I have noticed that when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, most resolution-makers could not be more excited about their plans and goals for the New Year.
At this point, they feel prepared for the challenges they will face and can’t wait to try out that new diet or pull out their old running shoes that have been gathering dust in the back of the closet for the past year.
In some cases, people are able to follow through with their New Year’s resolutions for a while, or possibly even the whole year. But many never quite get around to starting, or they give up after a few weeks.
The vicious cycle of making the same New Year’s resolution every year and never being able to follow through is a frustrating and unhealthy way to start out each year. It can damage confidence and prevent full commitment to a resolution.
It is acceptable for a person to make a New Year’s resolution if they intend to follow through with it, but people shouldn’t be restricted to New Year’s as the only time to make new goals.
Jan. 1 offers a starting point for people, but the abrupt change can be intimidating. People should be able to make mistakes on their way to improving their lives, and should not feel discouraged when they stray slightly from their resolution.
Rather than focusing on only the New Year as a starting point, people should strive to make small goals for themselves throughout the year. Pursuing a new, positive change in one’s life every few months makes the task easier to take on.
If someone wants to lose weight, for example, he or she could start off small by first decreasing sugar and carbs in their diet. Later in the year, they could add to this goal by eating more fruits and vegetables, and then incorporating exercise into their daily activities.
Making the same New Year’s resolution every year without succeeding is both disappointing and pointless. Achieving small goals throughout the year is not only more manageable and productive, but will also increase happiness in the long run.