A Fresh Look at the New Year’s Resolution

As the year winds down, I am starting to hear the usual chatter around New Year’s Resolutions.  I have never really been a “new year, new me” person. I find that in order to make pertinent changes in my life I need not only to feel a strong want for it but also be mentally prepared.  My mindset may or may not be in this place at the beginning of the new year.  If we set goals at the wrong time, are we destined for failure?  Year after year I see it at the gym. The crowds swell starting in January only to taper off by early March. A healthier lifestyle is the most common resolution by far, and a good one at that. But would it make more sense to set a fitness goal when we are naturally energized by our bodies telling us they are ready to look and feel better?  Maybe by waiting for the new year we are just procrastinating. Many resolutions require a significant lifestyle change which is never easy, especially as we get older and more set in our ways.

Don’t get me wrong, I recognize that we are all different, and if a new year is motivation to make positive improvements to your life, that can only be a good thing.  Although forming new habits can be accomplished any day, week, or month, many look at the new year as a time to reset. It can be the right time to at least think about desired changes.

That said, this year I am reconsidering my stance on a new year bringing new objectives.  But instead of setting resolutions, defined as a firm decision to do or not to do something, I am setting up a wish list. Some ideas for how my life could look in the upcoming year. So, here’s to 2023, may all your hopes (however defined) be realized.