Working out more often, eating healthier, getting off the phone, reading a book a month: New Year’s resolutions that are bound to fail. For many, waking up on Jan. 1 feels like a fresh start, a new beginning. But the truth is, the tradition of forming New Year’s resolutions is one that has no benefit. These resolutions are often left unresolved, leaving people to feel like failures. For some they never even start, causing people to live uncomfortably and wait for next year. For others, these resolutions are instead a quick phase–things that last for a month or two, but they never really stay as habits. Additionally, these resolutions create the idea that we have to wait until Monday to start, until the new month or until the new year, when really we can change at any time and take control of our lives.
New Year’s resolutions are often forgotten about a few months into the new year. Within the first few weeks of January, the gyms are filled with newcomers ready to start their fitness journeys. People start to ghost social media. Late nights are replaced with early bedtimes. Unfortunately, this motivation quickly dies down for many as the year progresses and as people fall into their normal routines. According to Time Magazine, “As many as 80% of people fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions by February. Only 8% of people stick with them the entire year.” As these resolutions are never really resolved they can leave people with even more baggage to carry into the next year. The feelings of failure that missing a resolution induces is just not worth the pain.
“I notice failures [in my resolutions] because I feel like it’s just a way to give yourself hope at the beginning of the year, but then you give up and forget about it,” SPFHS sophomore Arielle Solomon said.
The lavish and perfect life that people display online masks the failure that they are most likely experiencing just like the rest of. Do not let that blind you. New Year’s resolutions are a one-way ticket to throwing away your goals and feeling down about it.
So, why are these resolutions bound to fail? This answer has many parts. Long-term goals are difficult to achieve and stay dedicated to, which is why many people experience failure.
Statista states that some of the most common resolutions for 2024 were:
-Save more money
-Exercise more
-Eat healthier
-Spend more time with family and friends
-Lose weight
-Reduce spending on living expenses
-Spend less time on social media
-Reduce work stress
There is one thing that all these resolutions have in common: they are too broad. It is easier to experience failure when trying to jump over these large hurdles versus focusing on smaller goals.
The fear of change is something that is very prevalent for most people. This is another fuel of the failure. Change is hard, although it is something that happens every day right under our noses. Resolutions focus on this change, which can make them scary. By making big resolutions, sacrifice is unavoidable. Changing and sacrificing what we know is something that most people are not ready to do. It is easy to set a goal, to say we are going to change, but actually going through with it is harder than it looks.
“[Making resolutions] sets unrealistic standards for yourself and they are not realistic because they mostly never happen,” Solomon told The Fanscotian.
Although all this talk of failure can seem glum, it does not mean that resolutions are impossible. Setting goals is actually a great way to get through life and hard times. The important part is just making sure that these goals are achievable.
It’s understandable why people make New Year’s resolutions; they provide hope and the chance to start over. Even though these New Year’s resolutions are not the best path, there are other ways to achieve goals. Making small shifts in the way we live everyday life is a perfect way to start. Setting goals to accomplish within the day or week is a smarter place to start. Most importantly, accepting that resolutions are not some trend or a quick fad; they are the starting point to bettering oneself.
This year will not be wasted stressing about the New Year’s resolutions set months before. These long-term goals ensure failure and leave lasting unfinished business. As the clock strikes midnight and the thought of resolutions start to crowd your mind, remember: New Year’s resolutions really are a waste of time.
