
I’m sure we all, at some point or another, have hopped on the tradition of creating a new year's resolution for ourselves. Whether it be something around starting a new hobby, exercising every day, quitting coffee, we all try and commit ourselves to something that we think will benefit our lives in some way. New Years resolutions can be exciting and motivating, I have created one myself – learn to crotchet! However, I think we can sometimes put too much pressure on ourselves with our resolutions which in turn can create disappointment and frustration down the line. So today, I wanted to walk through some of the pleasures and pressures of new year's resolutions so that you can create a resolution that is motivating and psychologically safe for you!
The Pleasures
Resolutions can provide us with an opportunity for self-reflection. As the end of the year comes around, I think it is common for us to engage in a self-reflection process, focusing on the successes and mistakes of the past year. Creating a resolution certainly requires a level of self-reflection because you are focusing on something that you want to improve for the next year. Self-reflection can be challenging and daunting, but it is an important process and a luxury that we have as humans.
Resolutions can unify people together. When we near the end of the year, one of the first questions I get asked when in a group of friends or family is, ‘What is your new year's resolution?’ It is a societal idea that many of us share together and sharing our goals with others can build a sense of belonging and community. There are also many families, friends or couples that will have a resolution together – such as becoming gym buddies or starting a book club. Committing to something with loved ones can be so helpful when we are trying to motivate ourselves, because we are also motivating others along with us!
The Pressures
We often set goals for ourselves that are either too broad or unrealistic. For instance, a goal like “be more productive” sounds like a positive thing, but it lacks specificity. Without a clear definition of what ‘productive’ means, it can be challenging to make progress in that area. Broad goals can leave too much room for interpretation which can lead to frustration. An example of an unrealistic goal might be “I want to go to the gym every day for two hours”. These types of resolutions can put way too much pressure on us. They may sound motivating, but they are often unsustainable which can lead to burnout and stress. Resolutions are meant to empower us, not bring us down!
I discussed above that resolutions can often unify people, however that could also bring in feelings of peer pressure when it comes to setting a new year's resolution. The societal expectations behind the start of a new year can lead to feelings of inadequacy and cause us to compare ourselves to others. There are also a number of popular resolutions, many surrounding the idea of losing weight. We may feel pulled to set expectations for ourselves surrounding our own weight, when it is possible that is not the healthiest idea for our own individual selves. This may lead to feelings of guilt and shame when that is exactly the opposite of what a resolution is meant to make us feel. We want to focus on individualized and self-compassionate goals – goals that
will help us become better and brighter versions of ourselves.
I hope that this post gave you some good ideas on how to turn our resolutions into positive tools for self-improvement rather than sources of stress or failure. Remember – we want to encourage ourselves to keep sustainable habits and allow ourselves to relish in our accomplishments throughout the year! I hope you all are having a great start to 2025 😊
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