Why we need to reconsider New Year’s Resolutions

How did you spend Christmas Day? After all the turkey had been eaten, presents discarded, wrapping paper thrown away, there was plenty of time to consider what the future holds. Of course, everyone would have attempted New Year’s Resolutions, that annual delusional aspiration of self improvement. Just like an organised Christmas, it is an achievement hardly ever met.

Yet this practice has continued for decades. Even when people are aware that resolutions have so little chance of coming true, having goals is still celebrated. Perhaps it is an intrinsic part of being human, desiring a purpose as the year draws to a close and new beginnings looms on the horizon. Self improvement is a virtue to celebrate. However, goals shouldn’t be dreams but ambitions that are grounded in reality. 

Goals shouldn’t be dreams but ambitions that are grounded in reality

I therefore propose abolishing New Year’s Resolutions. Time and time again they aren’t met, indeed, most people have probably forgotten them by April. I would replace them with New Month Resolutions. At the start of every month, an individual decides on one achievable, ambitious yet realistic goal they are going to work towards meeting. Don’t bother making 12 resolutions in January lasting all the way to next Christmas. Instead, decide on only one for every month of the year.

This may seem unambitious: only having one specific aspiration for an entire 30 days. However, this is simply a realistic reflection of the incredibly busy lives we all lead. I always aspire towards a calmer year following the inevitable speed and rush of the previous autumn. However, I know this won’t happen. Life, especially as a student, is by nature busy juggling essays, societies, accommodation, shopping and socialising. Having one goal per a month is therefore an honest measure of the range of activities taking up our lives. 

Those of us who decry the banality of Mystic Meg astrology are ourselves engaging in fanciful predictions in self-improvement for the next 12 months

It is strange that New Year’s Resolutions haven’t been more widely mocked. At the start of a year, we are expected to know our interests, personalities and priorities for the entire year, which shapes our chosen resolutions. This is ludicrous. Those of us who decry the banality of Mystic Meg astrology are ourselves engaging in fanciful predictions in self-improvement for the next 12 months. 

There is no account whatsoever for spontaneous struggles or life changing events that may completely transform the goals we can realistically work towards. A resolution every month however, understands we are developing individuals whose interests and needs alter throughout the year. The resolution is far more likely to be met and can specifically be tailored to our needs of that time.

Time is a strange thing. There is not enough time for a philosophy discussion, except to say we as humans have constructed our calendar year to be based off the Earth’s rotation for the sun. ‘New Year, New Me’ is the most misleading phrase in human history. The New Year is an arbitrary date like when September becomes October. January 1st shouldn’t be the only time to decide improvement and make changes. It is something worth aspiring towards whatever the time of year. A resolution every month allows for constant personal development and evaluation. 

The New Year is an arbitrary date like when September becomes October. January 1st shouldn’t be the only time to decide improvement and make changes

Of course, it’s questionable whether constant progress is either necessary or desirable. In a society based so much on success and achievement, the desire to perform well can easily become overwhelming. But this is where resolutions every month are so helpful. Resolutions for the whole year are likely to be extremely vague: ‘Learn a new language’, ‘Go jogging more.’ One specific monthly resolution allows specific targets, like learning a certain piece of music on piano, or achieving a specific running time. While the goal may not be entirely met, the specific target makes the goal more realistic, less overwhelming and highly fulfilling if met. 

The calm of the New Year will not last long. Seminars and lectures that are full of knowledge, as well as reading and revision will guarantee that. But an additional resolution can allow our lives to expand far beyond the library, encompassing wider challenges that are essential for proper human development. While New Year’s Resolutions will inevitably be forgotten, New Month Resolutions have a far higher chance of being remembered, acted upon and achieved. That’s something worth celebrating.