The Beloved And Hated Resolutions

Two weeks ago, I wrote about New Year's Resolutions as a paperwork on school. And, because it's New Year's Eve tomorrow, why not post it and tell you what I mean? Enjoy.


“I promise you: I’ll be so much nicer to my little brother the following year! I’ll make it my New Year’s resolution. Seriously! And I’ll keep it,” my best friend told me another day. But to say it like it is, I’ve heard that before. Last year, and even before that, she told me the same. And she can’t keep it. So I don’t think she will this time either…

My friend isn’t alone making New Year’s resolutions. I definitely know that I can’t keep mine, so I don’t do it anymore. But I used to. About an hour before midnight, I came up with something. Then, the next day or so, I forgot it all. But I guess I couldn’t keep them anyway. So I gave up. But I know that many of my friends and family still make New Year’s resolutions.

I think New Year’s resolutions are pointless. Especially when you can’t keep them anyway. But if you can keep them, I guess it is a really smart way making personal goals. And who doesn’t wants to get rid of bad habits? But when you can’t keep your resolutions, wouldn’t that give you a bad self esteem? When my father told me some years ago that his New Year’s resolution was to start exercising, he couldn’t keep it. Then I really felt sorry for him. And I think he felt bad too. I don’t think that his promise to himself made him any happier. I know about a lot of other people who can’t keep their promises, and I don’t think they’re too happy about it.

So why do you do it? I’ve never seen the point. Is it that you got the need to reach out for something? Or is it just popularity or an old tradition? And if it is because of popularity: When did making New Year’s resolutions make you popular? And it isn’t any cool about doing it anyway. But I do understand that about reaching goals, though. You feel good after reaching a goal, and goals make you push yourself harder. But you are still capable of making goals when it’s not New Year’s Eve. It’s totally fine to say in the middle of June: “I’m going to practice my tennis skills this summer!” So why just make them on New Year’s Eve when you can make promises to yourself all year through?

My mother and father are psychiatrists. They are bound to observe professional secrecy, so I haven’t had the chance to ask them if they treat someone with problems caused by New Year’s resolutions, but I guess there are cases based on that, even though they might not be working on it. Could New Year’s resolutions be a psychical threat? I don’t think so, but you never know. Maybe someday one of the big papers like The Sun, Washington Post or The Journal has a major article about depressed people with New Year’s resolutions.

But if you make a New Year’s resolution, even though I beg you not to, what promise should you make? There are several promises to choose from. You have the classic “I’ll stop smoking,” which is very popular among smoking middle age men, or maybe the children’s promise about not eating candy for a year. Also you might try the resolution about not being rude to your parents, or do all your homework, which is popular among teenagers. There are some more extravagant choices like start smoking to be cool, or start drawing. And if you want to be extremely high fashioned, why not say you’ll start eating ecological food and bike 12 miles to work and home again? Well, you have a lot to choose from, so you better start picking!
What do you do, then? After making a New Year’s resolution? You try to follow them. And if you fail? You keep on going. Try it next year, like my friend. Or you act like you don’t care, but I know you do. There are really no limits. And you can even have several at the time, like quit smoking and eat ecological. Well, then your health will improve.

Back to my friend: She really isn’t that bad with her brother. Actually she’s pretty nice to him. But brothers can be annoying. Maybe I also should make a New Year’s resolution like my friend’s? Also, there are several things about myself I would try to change, but I don’t think making New Year’s resolutions are the way for me to do something about them. I’m not saying you shouldn’t try to improve yourself, but then again I don’t think New Year’s resolutions are the way to try to make changes.

And will the new year make us happier, less angry, and, of course, more peaceful!

Happy New Year!