Resolutions, smesolutions! (No, that’s not a word but it expresses exactly how I feel.)
Of course I’d be lying if I said I have never set some for myself or that I don’t have things I want to do this year, such as eat better and stress less.
But I think the concept of the resolution ultimately leads to failure and doesn’t account for the realities of life that stop you going to the gym or having a night where you just sit down and read a book.
These are the five reasons I hate New Year’s resolutions…
They set you up for failure
Most of them are unrealistic and to be completely honest, if I was willing to stop that bad habit, I’d have done it by now. Like I said, real life gets in the way of healthy eating, exercising regularly and having more ‘me’ time. There is this thing called time that tends to go by quite quickly and then there are other things called work and family that need attention too.
January is NOT special
Sure it marks the beginning of a new calendar year but it’s just like any other month (except there’s less money in the bank account and the festive cheer has well and truly worn off). What I’m saying is that there is really no need to make a list of five things and try to do them all at once, right away. There’s plenty of time left in the year to take one resolution at a time.
Some of them are just plain stupid
I have on numerous occasions made a resolution to “stress less.” I even wrote it down to try to make it more achievable. The only problem is that I am an over-thinker, therefore I get stressed quite easily and have an hour-long discussion in my head about any decision that I make. Hence this particular resolution is completely ridiculous and utterly impossible.
They make me feel rubbish
I always feel rubbish whenever I don’t achieve my resolutions leading to a not-so-happy New Year. Sure I ate really well for four days but then Friday came and someone was going to the pizza place and I just thought ‘what the hell, I’m going to have pizza and potato wedges!’ Five minutes after polishing off the last slice, I feel like crap and console myself by chomping on a bar of Dairy Milk.
Life’s too short
Yes, you should set goals. Of course, everyone should try to lead a healthy lifestyle. And setting aside some alone time to relax is very important for one’s wellbeing. However life is short and I don’t want to look back and think ‘I wish I had eaten than cupcake’ or ‘I should have spent more time with my loved ones than on the treadmill.’ As with everything, finding a balance is the secret… not making a resolution.
Main image: “Bratislava New Year Fireworks” by Ondrejk.
