NEW YEAR NEW WHO?

Three….Two…One…Happy new year! Congratulations, you have completed a rotation around the sun! Now make a list of goals for the year, and make sure you stick to them! That’s normally how the new year goes.

But is there a point in actually doing that? I don’t see a point in making a list of things to do just because it’s a new year. Why is it so hyped up to make bigger goals for yourself around the new year? Often new year’s resolutions don’t last. They give people a false sense of motivation, promote toxic shortterm productivity and are overall ineffective.

There are constantly moments when people need change in their life. It can be that you need to drink more water or take mental health days in order to relax. Those changes are beneficial all year round, so why wait until the new year to start? Why can’t you apply these changes as soon as possible to make life better? Though change may be scary, it can still be good. Nobody wants to end up in the same repeating cycle of toxic or unhealthy behavior.

Many people set resolutions to improve their physical health, such as losing weight and eating healthily. According to Forbes Health 39% of people’s New Year’s resolutions had to do with improving fitness, and 37% were about losing weight. A big motivator for these resolutions is holiday weight gain, which seems to often be because people make hasty decisions, and have poor planning skills. The resolution ends up being something that was rushed like, “lose 25 pounds by the end of the year” with no clear way of achieving the goal.

Businesses take advantage of new year’s resolutions to promote their products or services. Beauty salons announce discounts on procedures such as eyebrow threading and lip fillers.

GENESIS MARTINEZ

Coolsculpting studios give new discounts for new customers who want to make multiple appointments for procedures to lose weight. Gyms make new year’s membership offers. For example, planet fitness offered a $1 down payment and then $10 a month. They are only supporting the first month of new year’s resolutions for people who say they are changing their lifestyle for the new year. They aren’t really helping set a long term goal. The expectation to be the perfect person for the new year is an unrealistic expectation that is not sustainable. According to CNN, 80% of people admittingly quit their new year’s resolution by the end of February. This is due to people’s failure to plan. Most people’s new year’s resolutions are not “smart goals,” meaning they are not measurable, achievable, relevant or specific, and can’t be achieved in a timely manner.

A healthier alternative to the typical new year’s resolutions is to set a “smart goal,” and not just around the new year, but at any point throughout the year when you feel you need to make a change in your life and habits.