Although they’re a popular practice, New Year’s resolutions are often not very effective. I praise the positivity of people who make a list of things they want to do in the new year, like exercise or study more. However, these goals are often unreachable, unrealistic, and unspecific, leaving many disappointed going into the new year.
Instead of setting a broad and unspecific New Year’s resolution, try to narrow it down into a more tangible and achievable goal. For example, let’s say your New Year’s resolution is to save more money. This is quite a lofty goal and not very specific, so instead of setting this goal, it would be a better idea to put a specific number to how much money you want to save per week or month.
If you don’t trust a random high school junior enough to change your entire way of thinking, trust the National Library of Medicine. According to them, “Goal-setting theory shows… that challenging, specific, and concrete goals are powerful motivators and boost success in goal pursuit more than do vague and abstract goals. For example, the specific goal ‘lose 10 pounds in 2 months’ should be more successfully achieved than the vague goal ‘lose weight.’”
On top of that, the pressure to set a goal can be overwhelming. As a person who’s easily influenced by trends, setting a New Year’s resolution meant going with the crowd and giving a good answer to the teacher’s questions after the break. But if you’re not motivated to set and complete a goal, then there’s really no point in setting one at all. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, “Doing something just because you think you should is a great way to lose interest in any goal.”
Instead, I suggest waiting to set a goal when you feel motivated, not just when the calendar says it is a new year. The Canadian Mental Health Association says that “if you’re not feeling up to goal setting at the moment, come back to this activity when it comes naturally.”
So if you’re not motivated to set a goal in January, you don’t have to. Goal setting is totally up to you. Just because everyone else is setting a New Year’s resolution doesn’t mean that you have to. If you choose to, make sure that your goal is specific and attainable as to not disappoint yourself early in the year.
I hope that everyone has a great New Year, with or without New Year’s resolutions!
