I usually struggle with figuring out what to write about for my final piece of each semester. This time, however, an idea came to me quite quickly, and I can’t believe I haven’t written about it yet. Here’s my hot take: I don’t really see the point of New Year’s resolutions. Now, I love the idea of self-reinvention and setting goals. But, the idea of New Year’s resolutions suggests that January 1st is the only time to do so. They don’t allow “easing” into any specific initiative, which doesn’t really lend itself for good habits to be made.
Speaking as someone who has done a bit of self reinvention, I can tell you that the only reason I was able to do that was because I slowly started building up good habits. It started in April of 2022. There are some personal reasons I started reinventing myself at that time, but really, it was just when inspiration struck me. I built habits that allowed me to become the person I wanted to be. By the end of the summer, I was the woman I knew I was meant to be. That has also allowed for retention, as a year and a half later, I have not even for a second fallen back into the habits that made me want to change in the first place.
This past summer, once again, I wanted to reinvent my athletic life. My running, hard work, and extra miles did not need a clock striking midnight to start. The timing was convenient for me, and the habits I was able to perfect all summer allowed me to have a successful season with my team this fall. The undeniable passion I was able to foster was not forced or rushed, as New Year’s resolutions often are. It was genuine, not pressured onto me by the mark of a new calendar.
New Year’s resolutions are a great way to set goals for yourself. And I’m not saying they have a 0% success rate. But they do have about an 88% fail rate. In my opinion, the hoopla and whatnot surrounding the beginning of a new year is not the only time self-reinvention should be promoted. Any time of the year is a perfect time to start building good habits, becoming the person you want to be, and opening a new chapter in your life.
