PRO
New year, new me! We’ve all heard this saying tossed around during the month of January to showcase our new outlook on life at the start of a new year. As cliche as it sounds, I find it to be a comforting sentiment of new beginnings.
With the New Year comes New Year’s resolutions. Whether we want to believe it or not, I think we can all agree that we see the start of a new year as a chance to begin fresh and set goals for ourselves that we’d like to accomplish in the coming months.
The way I see it, setting New Year’s resolutions is nothing but a positive endeavor. The resolution itself may be something small like drinking more water, or something on a larger scale like obtaining that dream job. Regardless of the specifics, having something to strive for is a great way to keep people motivated and driven in the new year.
In my personal experience, I find it rare that I ever maintain a resolution throughout the whole year, or even half the year, but this doesn’t mean that setting goals for yourself isn’t important. Even if you set a goal and never accomplish it, you are actively practicing looking inward to find ways to improve your quality of life and overall happiness.
Understanding yourself enough to want to do things to enjoy life is one of the kindest things you can do for yourself and the people around you who want to see you successful and happy. With that being said, I don’t think it is ever too late to start setting some New Year’s resolutions. Write them down somewhere or pin them to your bulletin board! Make this year the best one yet!
oparisi@ramapo.edu
CON
As someone who has attempted to write a New Year’s Resolution several times before, and has eventually failed at achieving said resolution every time, I write today as a self-proclaimed expert in the New Year’s Eve crisis.
Every year, starting around 8 p.m. on Dec. 31, I sit down at the kitchen table and get to work on a one-page list projected to change my life completely over the next 12 months. I set my expectations high, usually involving some form of workout routine and rigorous study regime, and by the end of January, bid adieu to my attempt and accept the fact that “next year is my year.” I then live out the remaining 11 months of the year the same as the year before.
What I’m suggesting: ditch the list. Why go into the New Year with a list of restrictions or harsh lifestyle changes instead of sensing the vibe and easing into a new routine? Resolutions often encourage self-ridicule: the desired change, rather than being something positive, emerges from negative feelings about your past lifestyle.
Have grace for yourself. It may sound cliche, but I truly believe that the only way to ever truly change your lifestyle is to find gratitude for the one you are currently living. Especially as college students, between classes, work and extracurriculars, how much control do we really even have over our routine?
A little over a month into the New Year, I’ve made several changes as compared to last year. The difference: time. I haven’t held myself to some urgent standard. Instead, I’ve eased into the New Year, allowing my schedule to change depending on the events of the day. I am grateful for 2024, excited for 2025 and ready to take on another year, making both academic and personal progress while giving myself space to live.
sglisson@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of Pexels
