When the year is about to come to an end, we tend to put our thinking hats on and reflect hard on the months that went by. The very fact that we celebrate New Year’s shows that we see our life through the lenses of years. Right before 2020 started, I had the best NYE of my life so far, and even put up a social media status describing how optimistic I am of the year ahead. It’s safe to say that the universe had other plans. Life is unpredictable, isn’t it?
But here I am, two years down the line, still hopelessly optimistic about the future – not that it’s a bad thing. It’s good to have faith; I am manifesting a good 2022 but I am also going to be prepared for whatever it has to offer. Wait, scratch that. Can we ever be fully prepared?
So while we wait for an unforeseen future, we drop in our New Year’s resolutions, to keep the steering wheel of our lives in our control. Having said that, many of those resolutions never end up meeting the finishing line. And we are hyperaware of that, aren’t we? That makes me wonder, are we still keeping those? Before you make or break one, here’s what you should reflect on.
New Year’s resolutions make you more self-aware
This part of the year has us recapping the things we learnt, events that unfolded and the desires that remained unmet, or even new ones that were born. So when you make a New Year’s resolution, you’re focussing on what you truly want to do or be. This exercise can help you become more self-aware, which is crucial to growth and achievement.
You feel hopeful
When a new year begins, you feel optimistic, or so you hope. With resolutions, you feel a new sense of motivation running through your veins. You want to do so much, and honestly, if you stay on track, you will be able to translate your dreams into reality.
You may become too self-critical
While a resolution may make you feel all motivated at the start of the year, as the months pass us by, we may end up becoming too self-critical if we haven’t achieved what we set out to. Unmet goals can make you feel like a failure, and that’s unfair to yourself. Life is not predictable and we should not dim our light or stop trying because of a few setbacks.
Deadlines can impact your productivity
Many people work well with deadlines. However, for many, deadlines foster procrastination. With New Year’s resolutions, you are giving yourself a deadline to achieve your goals. You may end up feeling too anxious about it and end up rather procrastinating your way away from your dreams.
Being realistic is the key
When it comes to New Year’s resolutions or any other goals for that matter, it is important to be realistic. Start small and be realistic about what you can achieve; it’s not like you can’t add to your goals later on. Strategise the execution of your plans and act on them. However, if you experience setbacks, don’t feel disheartened and continue to work on yourself. It’s an ongoing process and often, a year is not enough to fulfil all your goals.
New Year’s resolutions may not be for everyone, as we have come to realise. Irrespective of whether you choose to go for them or not, never give up on having goals. Don’t let a date change stop you from doing that.