What’s the deal with new year’s resolutions?

I’ve never understood why people make new year’s resolutions. If you know an area of your life needs changing, why wait until the new year to change it? I’ve always believed that there’s no better time than the here and now to make these changes in one’s life. So why do people need a new year to become a changed person? What’s wrong with tomorrow?

To try and understand the power behind new year’s resolutions I decided to make a couple new years resolutions myself. I found it difficult to make resolutions because I wanted to make ones that were attainable and would improve my life. I came up with three: meal prep, go to church, journal. 

As the moth of January comes to an end I find myself reflecting on how my resolutions have been going. I would like to be able to tell you all about how my resolutions have been successful and my life is changed for the better, but then I would be lying to you…and I don’t like to lie. 

To be completely honest I’ve failed. I’ve journaled three times, meal prepped twice, and went to church two times. From a sports perspective, the stat line is bad. 

I’m a perfectionist. It’s hard for me to admit when I’ve failed, so lets flip it around and see how my failures are a form of growth and success. I started a journal when I had no intention of doing so before the new year. I had meals prepared two more times than I would have, had I not meal prepped. And lastly I heard a preacher speak in church twice more than I probably would have. 

My resolutions haven’t changed my life…yet. But I don’t think that’s how they are supposed to work. Resolutions don’t change your life immediately, rather you have to persist and stay with them even when you feel like you’re failing. Although I may have failed in many aspects I did take a step in the right direction in changing my habits. I’m still not convinced that new years resolutions are anything special, but I do appreciate how they challenged me to stop and think about what I could do to become a better version of myself. 

I encourage you to take the time to reflect on the life you’re living, and make tomorrow the new years you need to become the person you want to be.