If I watched adverts I am sure that I would see everything around ‘New Year, New Me’. It is something that comes with the turn of every calendar and will never go away. Resolutions are not my bag (as you might know from older posts) but ‘New Year, Same Me’ I can really rock!
Why no resolutions?
While I have nothing against anyone setting themselves some intentions or goals for the year, I personally don’t feel like I have to do it on the first of January. It is so easy to see the new year as a clean slate. As an opportunity to recreate yourself, or make up for all the (so-called) flaws you spotted in yourself last year. Hey, I get it, it’s nice to have something to work towards, but adding a shed load of things to your life starting in the new year seems a little counterintuitive to me.
Resolutions seem to be about adding things to your life rather than taking them away. You don’t hear of many people adding ‘Giving up ironing’ to their lists, but this is something I did a few years ago and I have never looked back. It wasn’t a new year’s resolution, but it was a resolution all the same.
To me, resolutions come when you need them. Something clicks and you feel the time is right to make a change. You have a change of heart on something and everything slots into place. Trying to force a change on yourself often ends in failure as you’re just not ready for it. Plus, let’s face it, many of these things we add are ‘shoulds’ which we pick up from other places and people. Not ‘wills’ which come from our very being.
January first is just another day to me. Yeah, I have a tradition where I eat burgers on that day, but otherwise, I go about my normal life (a life, I am pleased to say I am happy with because of the changes I naturally made the year before). So resolutions are not a thing for me. I will add things, take things away and make changes as I feel they need to and sometimes when they have to (like when my work contract ended last year during a pandemic!)
What do I do instead?
Well, nothing! Nothing straight away, anyway. If something comes up and I need to think about change, then I will do it then. Like taking on the C25K on the 15th November. I had both the need and they want to make it happen (I am in my final week of the programme, by the way, having continued to run through Christmas)
I find that I am more likely to do something when it is the right time and comes directly from me. A hurdle I need to overcome is a brilliant catalyst for me to decide on a change of direction.
New Year, Same Me
So with all my musings, I guess what I am saying is that I go into the new year as me. New Year, Same Me. I’m not going to be piling on a thick layer of additional things to do every day for the next 365 days. Nor will I be putting pressure on myself to become someone I’m not, or not ready to be. I will stride into January excited to see what comes and curious about where my journey will take me this year.
Whether your aim of January is to add a lot of things to your life or take them away. Or you’re like me and want to see how things play out while you enjoy the ride. I want to wish you all a very happy (if belated!) New Year!
I hope you make it a year to remember!