It's time to rethink the humble New Year's resolution
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Everyone is familiar with that post-Hogmanay bombardment of social media posts, all proclaiming "New year, new me!"
Gym memberships are bought, Duolingo is downloaded, and the fridge gets stocked with salad – all thanks to the thing we call a New Year's Resolution. It’s easy to see the supposed logic of this – it’s a new year, with new opportunities to change things in our lives that maybe we’re not totally satisfied with.
… but does it really make that much sense?
I was once a strong proponent of trying to change bad habits as each January rolled around, but now I’m beginning to wonder if it’s necessary.
My biggest issue with the trend lies in its name – New Year. Why does this have to be the time at which we choose to make these changes? I believe that if we’re really that resolved to try something new, why would we wait for a particular day in the calendar to get started? The answer: procrastination, that old wolf in sheep’s clothing. If you’re so convinced that you want to, say, write a book - start it when you first get the idea, when you’re full of motivation to do it. Don’t wait for the premier of the new year, by when your willpower and determination is likely to have abated to some degree.
A further danger of transforming your new goal into a New Year’s Resolution is that dreaded January slump. Experts have acknowledged that the first month of the year is probably the worst for productivity and action, all thanks to a phenomenon known as the January blues. The festive season and all the fun it brings is over, and you begin to remember just how boring the other 11 months of the year are in comparison. So what does this mean for our New Year’s Resolutions?

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
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