The rest of November and December, which encompass both Thanksgiving Day and a large number of religious ceremonies, rampant consumerism and an unhealthy diet, often feel like a wash. New Year’s Eve is a bright beacon, the moment when we will re-establish all our dirty habits, so why bother now? Because setting a resolution of prior resolution can still change some aspect of your life.
A few years ago, I started setting goals for myself around Thanksgiving before the New Year. At first, I was simply tired of falling into the decline of EOY marked by drinking too much, eating too much and promising that I would be in the gym on the first of January (or the second, at the latest). Creatively, I also stopped. Everyone is very busy! New projects can not start around the holidays. Why bother? It is a depressing space to live a great part of the year, but we all tend to do it. Here’s why you should stop.
Six weeks is a long time
If you diligently commit to something for six weeks, you will improve on it. You can develop a habit and have an effect in that amount of time. Learn the basics of an instrument, write a chapter in a book, start running in the mornings, whatever it is, if it starts on Black Friday and stays updated until New Year’s Day, you will see a significant improvement.
It can be something small
The fog of the holidays is about to take over, so if you decide to set a goal at this time, even a small one will be better than the normal fall. Maybe you want to write a diary every day, read two books, volunteer. Do something new that you have been putting off. See what you can do right now, instead of waiting for the symbolic restart. A small successful step often inspires us towards bigger things.
It’s a Warm up
The biggest thing is, in fact, the new year. Yes, the New Year’s resolutions are cheesy and often abandoned before the melting of the earth. However, they are still everywhere for one reason: we want to believe that we can change. We deserve to believe that we can change for the better, and giving yourself a boost with a warm-up resolution will help you with that belief. That could mean that he accepts his big goals for 2019 in a more optimistic way and advances more. You did a lot in six weeks; What can you do in a whole year?
Less Pressure
You do not even have to tell anyone about your previous resolution! It is true that sometimes announcing my intentions helps me to fulfill them. A few people care what you are doing to improve yourself or your life, but there is a responsibility to be public with your efforts. At least, you’re a little embarrassed when things fall. That is part of why there is so much pressure to talk about resolutions in the first place.
However, some of us do not do incredible things under pressure. Nobody will think about asking you what your end of the year resolution is, so there is no reason to talk about it unless you want to. It is a private company, which could end up feeling good. Or not, in which case you can talk about your intentions for next year.
It just feels better
The end of the year is hard. Reflect on what has happened, to you and the world. The world is really hard now. It can be satisfying to imagine 2018 as if it were already in the garbage, where it belongs, but time does not make sense, really. Discarding almost one sixth of the year is just launching your own life and the potential it still offers you.
Allow yourself to think about how well you can do with this moment, instead of falling into a hole that you will have to leave in January. Unlike most resolutions, which imply an improvement without an end date, you only have to do anything for a month and a half. That is not so much nor all the time in the world.
