New Years Re(Solution): Help Yourself

It’s a tradition — a fad — that every new year a list is to be made titled “Resolutions for the New Year”. Bleeding with should be, could be, wills and will nots; the list is a promise to change.

Making lists is great, but being fair to yourself is even more important. Let’s start early, let’s start the process of change even before penning down checkboxes. Here’s a few pointers I’ve gathered:

Instead of “I want to lose weight” or “I’ll start going to the Gym”, know your “Why”

Why would you add this as a checkpoint? What’s your motivation? Is it negatively enforced due to societal pressure or is it really something you would want to do? Opting to adopt a healthy lifestyle is swell, only if the reason for it is sincere: which is to do so just for yourself and no one else.

Knowing why you would do something is important. It helps you locate yourself to the center of everything else, instead of others. Words, taunts, unsolicited opinions, all seem to melt away, if your why is driven from within.

Instead of “I’ll go out more”, “I’ll score better grades, explore more opportunities, or try to be happy”

Know what is driving you to achieve those things? Does it mean your life till now has been absent of success and happiness? Measure your scale of satisfaction: what does it comprise of? What’s your threshold?

Relocate yourself. Find out what really is your driving force and what would happen if you do score better? If you did avail an opportunity of a lifetime? if you do become the happiest you have ever been? What happens after? Is that all?

Instead of goals and checkpoints, opt for continuous check-ins to achieve your goal rather than setting them down as a checkpoint to be achieved once.

Marking your personal wishes on paper can in a way limit them to only one checkpoint; to be achieved once and forgotten later. Change does not have to be a revolutionary hurdle that needs to be cleared up. Change can just be a shift in your current speed, or a turn to a new direction. It does not need to be a marked resolution. It can be a comfortable and mindful choice made over a series of trial and error. Somehow like this piece I wrote; should have been published on the 1st like any other New Years related piece, but I chose to publish it when I was ready, after being happy with my edits.

Help yourself. Make resolutions. It’s okay to try and be better, but know your reasons; your Whys and Whats.

Happy New Year!