Happy New Years; New Year Same Old Me

It’s that time of year again, when we rack up enormous lists for New Year’s resolutions. Yet, how many of us get around to actually checking any of those resolutions off the list. 

Sure the first couple of weeks, months, or so we’ll manage to keep up the ruse of being stubborn. Eventually we do fall into old habits. Why is that though? Aren’t people supposed to improve with time? Isn’t that how evolution works? Well, yeah. But we often forget that it is a painfully slow process.
 

Then why place a timer on our self improvement and growth? Who came up with this ‘New Year’s Resolution fad’? This often seems like a bucket list for the year rather than actual self growth at times. Like getting a puppy. While caring for an animal does build a sense of responsibility and will help us connect with and care for people in the long run, is that the kind of responsibility you just take on like a task on a to-do list. 

When it comes to self improvement can we really place a timer on things? A better approach would be to look at things you need to get done as long-term and short term choices. Like finishing a pending project is definitely a choice that requires immediate effort. 

However, healthier lifestyle choices is a constant long-term effort. That’s why you need to make a decision if that is a long-term commitment you can make. You might force yourself to give up bad influences and choices for a week, a month, a year. What then? You endured. Though is this a change you can stick with? A commitment you can make to yourself, for yourself. 

In a way, New Year’s resolutions are  kind of a loser move. If you don’t have small goals and try to do better, be better every day, then New Year's resolutions don’t make sense.

If you’re not one to avoid littering, can you really rely on yourself to recycle? If you can’t stop procrastinating on a day-to-day basis, should you really be starting on that passion project?

I am in no way discouraging self improvement. We humans are constantly changing for better and for worse. Better to make an effort to ensure that change makes us better. 

What doesn’t make sense is placing an ultimatum on self improvement. Bad habits are like an addiction. Relapse is the norm, it’s bound to happen to all of us. What matters is that we believe and occasionally shake off that dark cloud of pessimistic realism on this journey of self improvement. Let the negative voices urge you to do better. At your own pace.

So this year be content with ‘New Year, same old me’ for a while. You can make more of an effort to improve when you’re ready