New Year, New Me (Or Old Me?)

Written by Beth (she/her), who had over thirty 2023 resolutions and only completed nine.

5 min read

The idea of a brand new year is an appealing one. It’s a sign of a fresh start, of change, of the idea that history is moving forward and bringing us along for the ride. With this great significance inevitably comes the formation of traditions — of rituals to bring luck, love and prosperity for the clean slate of the New Year;

And who doesn’t love a good New Year’s tradition?

New Year Traditions

New Year traditions take place the world over, and there are loads that I think sound like great fun: 

• Eating a grape for each of the twelve strokes of midnight (with each grape signifying good fortune for its corresponding month).
• The Turkish sometimes smash pomegranates in the hopes of increasing their wealth whilst the Italians opt for a brighter choice of undergarment to symbolise the brightness of the imminent future. 
• In Times Square, thousands of Americans cluster to watch the ‘drop’ of the famous time ball down its flagpole - an event live-streamed to millions across the globe. 

The Turkish sometimes smash pomegranates in the hopes of increasing their wealth whilst the Italians opt for a brighter choice of undergarment to symbolise the brightness of the imminent future. 

It might be unorthodox, but I like to celebrate by writing a short story inspired by my feelings about the year just gone. Friends of mine prefer to smash gingerbread houses with a hammer.

New Year Resolution Ideas 

Despite boundless variation, one ritual is ubiquitous in almost every culture and that is the formation of New Year’s Resolutions. We create goals and mantras to be achieved and lived through in the coming year, with the hope that they can bring about some kind of better — something new and something exciting — with anything from a big lifestyle change (e.g. starting a plant-based diet) to the daily practice of affirmations in the bathroom mirror making the cut.

They all share the same hopeful spirit of change, growth and self-improvement. They are, at their most basic, promises that you make to yourself in an attempt to make your own personal world — and sometimes maybe the world as a whole — a better place. But can these promises truly lead to significant change? Can the New Year really bring about a whole ‘New You’? I like to think so.

New Year, New Me

As an avid resolutioneer, I’ve always felt that there is something magical and motivating about a New Year — something that makes you want to, briefly or otherwise, try to change for the better. However, I also think that the idea of resolutions — or even how resolutions are chosen — can sometimes hold back positive change;

How so?

Well, here’s my thoughts on it… 
 

You are constantly changing as a person

A year is, inherently, a long time and so much can change within 365 days. The resolution that I set on January 01 2023 to participate in a series of mock trials became redundant by June, when I switched my major from law to biological sciences. 

It wasn’t a bad resolution — but it was one which very quickly didn’t reflect the person that I was becoming. It encouraged a static idea of growth, but as I grew as a person and gained life experience it didn’t grow with me. This is a key issue with the idea of resolutions — they’re rules set by ‘January you’ for the you that exists all the way through to December, a you who might be a completely different person with completely different needs and wants. 

My solution? 

Read on…

Create Flexible New Year Resolutions

Lend your resolutions some flexibility. You’re inevitably going to change as the year goes on and you can still follow through with the spirit of your resolutions while tinkering with the specifics to make sure that they remain reflective of your goals and ambitions. 

Balance Quantity and Quality New Year Resolutions

It’s often difficult to achieve a balance between quantity and quality. Year after year, I find myself setting a ridiculous number of resolutions that I probably couldn’t logically complete in two years — let alone one. 

With vision boards and big, bold plans for the future, it’s easy to get caught up in a flurry of exciting, far-reaching goals which might not meaningfully improve your life. 

Sure, it’s a great idea to try to learn new skills and try things just for the fun of it (I’d quite like to learn Python in 2024) but it’s also important to remember that sometimes learning three languages and learning to scuba dive might be a bit too much for a single year.

Life-Improving New Year Resolutions

In my humble opinion, the primary focus of a resolutions list should be goals that, if achieved, would significantly and positively improve life as you know it. If repeating meaningful affirmations each day boosts your self-confidence, that sounds like a great addition to the list. And you can totally learn to scuba dive on the side. 

As for quantity, it’s a hard balance to strike. If your goals are more general, or have a set time frame, you might find yourself with a ‘the more, the merrier’ type of list. If they’re specific and more difficult to achieve, it might be more realistic — and therein help you to achieve real change — to choose a smaller number.

Fulfilling Your New Year Resolutions

But what happens when December rolls around again and not every box is ticked? Ultimately, not very much. Resolutions are promises to change that you make to yourself. 

You are the only person holding yourself accountable. 

You might be disappointed not to achieve every single goal that you set for yourself but there’s no guilt to be had. 

It might sound corny, but it’s the effort that matters more than the achievement — and there’s always next year. 

Whether you fulfil your resolutions or not, I firmly believe that it’s the intention to make change that leads to it. The New Year might seem magical but it’s your effort and desire for growth that makes the New You. 

Each one of us inevitably changes as each year goes by but it’s up to us to make sure that this change is positive — and, resolutions, as much as I love them, are just one step in the journey.

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Read more:

Dates to look forward to in 2024
How to stop procrastinating — top tips
Is laziness a bad thing, or something to be celebrated?