Not having "resolutions" this New Years

Okay, I understand that many people like to make up "resolutions" for New Years. Stop me if you've heard this one before:

• "This is the year I start eating healthier."
• "This is the year I go the gym ALL THE DAYS."
• "This is the year I volunteer to ALL THE CAUSES."
• "This is the year I will change (some basic trait) and instead (do something seen as better by society)!"

Right, that never works. And here's why: the motivations are completely wrong. "New Year's Day" is, by the by, just another day. It's another day that is usually felt hung over, but still it is just another day. This is not a catalyst with which to make a large change, for yourself or for anyone else. What matters is not when you start something, but how and why you start it. Why do you want to eat healthier? Is it because it's the "in" thing to do, or is it because you genuinely want to be healthy? Do you really only want to be healthy because it's a new year?

I realise that many people view a new year as a "new beginning"; whilst a happy sentiment, and one that can sell a lot of greeting cards and party hats, it is nothing more than just that - a sentiment. The boundary of a year is an invented one. If you truly want to be healthy, you should do it because you want to be healthy, not because you want "this year to be different". When you inevitably slip up — don't be ashamed of yourself, we all do at one point or another — you can simply say "I still want to be healthy and I'll keep at it" instead of "oh well, this year isn't being different, I'll try again next year". You'll eventually run out of next years with which to try again.

So what are my goals for this year? I'd like to move to a better locale than I live now and finally finish my schooling. However, these aren't new goals I pulled out of my rear for the new year; I have been working at them for months now and I plan to achieve them this year. Plan ahead and don't stop for the bumps. Be inspired to smooth over the next ones!

I suppose my major point to this is that the best thing you can do this New Years is enjoy it with your friends and family. And if you want to change something besides your wall calendar, you need to have the right reasons for it. You are definitely worth your own investment of time and energy. You just have to see yourself that way, and then it will pay off in dividends.

Now playing: ♫ Skyfall - Adele