A new year is the perfect excuse to reinvent the way that you are perceived. But why do we feel the need to resort to this psychological change? Every year, the trend of “new year, new me” circles social media, with people across the world setting themselves targets they feel they must achieve before the dreaded end of another year.
I believe that there is a certain element of pressure involved. Picture your friendship group all carefully selecting their New Year’s resolutions and plastering them on social media. The desire to join in may be overwhelming but, just putting it out there, you don’t have to! Shocker, I know. Okay, okay, so you do want to partake in the fresh start. Perhaps writing this down somewhere privately, or mentally noting it is a better option. That way the pressure is reduced in meeting your goals for the next year, which will hopefully allow you to be more comfortable within yourself.
Maybe, your resolution could prompted by academic pressures to improve your education, and pressures applied by teachers (or maybe some caring parents) adds to this desire to change. In this case, it is obvious that you should create a solution, something to ease this stress. Try to reach that high grade, attend more classes, and gossip less in the tutorials that you do go to. Well, if you aim to be consistent with your progress, your New Year’s resolutions are almost every day. Crazy idea, right!
Potentially, these goals are related to the ‘January Blues’. A New Year’s resolution may motivate some to continue to strive in their work, exercise, or aesthetics, despite the miserable weather. This is obviously a very positive thing. But, why change yourself and your routine? Does this not contrast the very target of being consistent in our individuality? Maybe, we should aim to be more comfortable. Start each day with a positive mindset and not a positive yearly reset. Or even take each day at a time, and ease along with the change as it targets you. This way there is no real pressure to set a target.
But it all boils down to the fact that a fresh start roots from within. A new year is just a framework, a disguise if you will, that encapsulates the inner desire to change. So, if you want to start afresh, exploit the cover of New Year’s resolutions!
Image by Marissa Grootes on Unsplash.