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Why I’m not setting new year resolutions in 2024
This year, I decided not to make any New Years resolutions and Ive got good reason for it.
Research from Forbes shows that almost a third of people were expected to set New Years resolutions in 2024. Younger people were particularly likely to, with 51% planning on it.
I, however, have made a point not to. I used to make them every year. In fact, I was an avid PowerPoint maker on how exactly my life was going to change on January 1st.
Now, my refusal to make any New Years resolutions in 2024 feels like a silent protest of sorts (and those who have already messed up their resolutions can pretend that they too skipped the resolutions on purpose.)
New Year, New Me culture tells you you need to change
For many, New Years resolutions are something you just do. Its an expectation or even a pressure. Research from Forbes shows that one in five feel under pressure to set New Years resolutions, with over a third of young people feeling pressure.
In my eyes, setting New Years resolutions is often a way of telling yourself youre not good enough as you are and must change. At no other point of the year would you find your aunt calling you up and asking So, what are you going to change about yourself?
Dont get me wrong, New Years resolutions arent wholly to blame, but theyre the straw that broke the camels back for me. Theyre the pinnacle of a culture that constantly drives home that you should be doing more!
New Years resolutions keep getting more extreme
Of course, Im not saying that bettering yourself isnt good, but the whole New Year. New Me trend of resolutions that see people attempt to completely transform themselves often indicates a need for a complete change of existence.
Resolutions surpass simply giving up smoking or taking up running. On social media, Ive seen posts with completely new daily routines, new diets, new habits, and new ways of acting – all to start at once on January 1st.
Its the kind of Bridget Jones and her diary of New Year’s resolutions energy. When we, like Bridget, inevitably go back to drinking alcohol, failing to wake up at 5 a.m., and wearing huge underwear, we feel awful about being our old self again.
When Ive already instilled into myself that December 2023 me wasnt good enough and needed to be completely transformed, I feel bad when I find myself back as the old me – usually only weeks later. Im not the only one – the majority of people found their resolutions lasted between one and three months only.
Its far better to spread your changes out over the year
In my opinion, one of the main reasons we take on the idea of completely reinventing ourselves and destroying the 2023 us, is because it feels like its New Year or nothing. January 1st feels like a clean slate and feels like our only opportunity for it in the whole year.
Thats simply not true. Spring equinox is a time when many feel the year is anew. In fact, some experts even argue that youre far more likely to stick to new habits if you start them during the spring renewal.
Others follow seasons, and get a sense of a clean slate on the first day of summer, for example. Or just follow your own feeling and make changes as you please, throughout the year.
