New Year, New Me. This is the classic, almost cliché saying that comes around this time every year. People see the new year as an opportunity to change themselves and be up-to-date with what everyone else is doing, when if being contemporary is really our goal, we should instead be improving ourselves. The majority of us hop on the bandwagon of New Year’s Resolutions so we don’t feel left behind from the majority, which is unrealistic. This will only leave the “new you” feeling, well, not new, but instead unaccomplished. And feeling unaccomplished is the feeling I am sure we are all actually trying to avoid! According to the Statistic Brain Research Institute, the number 1 new years resolution made every year is to lose weight. This is a very common goal, as weight loss is a huge societal pressure placed on us. Unless for a health reason, the goal shouldn’t be to lose weight but rather the goal should be to feel healthy and comfortable with oneself no matter your size.
The new year sheds light on new opportunities and a new start. And for us students, another opportunity to improve study habits and mindset towards the new semester. To feel better about yourself, whatever that personally means to you, will build a more positive and enduring mental mindset to help you thrive. 2016 carries different meanings for everyone, as everyone has different aspirations, so let’s try to focus on ourselves. Statistic Brain Research Institute also found that only 8% of people are actually successful in achieving their resolutions, and 24% never succeed and fail on their resolutions year after year. This is due to what I call the new years curse: over-promising and setting unrealistic goals, only to set yourself up for disappointment.
The main point to take away here is that the disappointment associated with not achieving new years resolutions doesn’t mainly come from you, it comes from comparing yourself to others. The media places a huge emphasis on selling this idea that you need to change how you look and act in order to feel refreshed and renewed for the new year to come. But don’t lose all hope! In contrast, people who do make new years resolutions are 10 times more likely to reach their goals than people who don’t explicitly make them. So instead of over-promising, under-promise. Have a friend whom understands what you truly want to achieve and have them support you. Stay true to yourself, take it day-by-day, and achieve an improved, not “new”, you. Don’t keep up with the average, be above average and keep up with yourself!
Written by Laura Spong
References:
“New Years Resolutions Statistics – Statistic Brain.”
2015 Statistic Brain Research Institute, publishing as Statistic Brain.
December 27th, 2015 http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/