New Year’s Resolutions: Why I Make Them Guest Post By Janet

There seems to be a lot of discussion at the moment about New Year’s resolutions. It seems a lot of people think they are a waste of time and that people shouldn’t make them.

I am great at setting New Year’s resolutions but I’m terrible at keeping them.

Other people make them and achieve them easily.

But the question remains – should you make New Year’s resolutions?

Here are the reasons why Janet makes hers:

Should You Make New Year’s Resolutions (and Why I Do)?

I have read a lot posts over the last few days that suggest that you don’t have to use the New Year as the time to create plans and goals – meaning your resolutions. Whilst I agree with this point I do think that there are also benefits of making New Year’s Resolutions and I do this myself every year, without fail.

I am not posting today to say that not making resolutions is wrong, I equally respect the decision of the individual and would never put anyone down for doing, or not doing this.

If making resolutions is something that keeps you focused and motivated, there is certainly no harm in doing so. I think it depends on the person who is making them and just how seriously they take them.

I’m not suggesting by any means that if making resolutions isn’t for you that you should do it anyway because that would be just as bad as someone suggesting that I don’t make them when they work for me – you don’t need to be told what to do, and neither do I. My opinion here is to do what is right for you.

Suggesting that a person should, or shouldn’t make resolutions for New Year is putting the whole idea of resolutions in a negative light. Like I said before, I agree you don’t need the New Year (I make plans and goals all throughout the year) but the more people suggest that this is a waste of time, the more a person who benefits by this would feel ashamed of telling others that they have made some.

To me this spoils the purpose of resolutions as they are supposed to help you focus and feel motivated but shaming them because they have resolutions would have the opposite effect and demotivate them. We should be supporting one another whatever our preference.

Why I Personally Like to Make Resolutions and Why They Work for Me.

First of all, the end of a year is significant. It’s a change – it’s a New Year, a new era, and everyone likes a fresh start. It doesn’t mean that this is the only time of the year you can make plans or set goals, it just means that this is a significant time.

I personally didn’t have a great year last year and the New Year brings me that little bit of hope. It might not feel the same for everyone but it’s my chance to more onwards and upwards. I’m looking forward to 2016, because it can’t be much worse than last year, right? In all seriousness, I have a lot to look forward to this year.

I am a motivated person and I set myself goals – daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly – so what’s wrong with having a longer term plan and measuring my way to achieving this? If New Year works for me then that is ultimately the perfect time.

I make resolutions and goals I feel serious about. I think some people feel like they have to make resolutions – well if you don’t want to or feel like you have anything at the moment then it’s simple – don’t make them now, make them when you have some goals.

Goal setting isn’t for everyone and that’s your choice. If you say, ‘Oh, I’m going to lose weight.’ for instance but your heart isn’t in it, then you have no intention at all of doing this because you aren’t focused – it’s not something that motivates you and that’s okay.

On the other hand, others may say they are going to lose weight and be completely focused and motivated – the difference here is that they will set SMART goals and monitor their progress throughout the year.

A person who is serious about their overall goals and resolutions will map steps of how they will achieve this goal overall.

So if a person hopes to lose weight they would eat healthily and exercise to the best of their ability. They will give themselves an overall weight loss goal or ideal weight, then they will weigh themselves each week and keep a record of this.

This is what I do – and this is what works for me.

See sometimes I have other things on my mind and I lose focus, I forget my goals so by keeping them on paper and at hand, I can access them and remind myself of them. If I have certain steps I need to meet a specific goal, I map out the steps and as I hit each milestone, it’s even more motivational as you see progress – you are heading towards your goal.

If you put together the fact that goals and monitoring progress helps you focus, and also that the New Year signifies a new beginning and hope – provided you are serious about your own resolutions, I think it makes your goals have that little something extra – the determination to succeed.

Don’t forget that resolutions have become tradition for a lot of people and we do try to keep our own family traditions in our house – it just so happens that New Year’s resolutions are one of those traditions.

We must remember that whether you choose to do this or not this is a personal choice and it’s important not to shine a negative light on the choice of another person if you risk discouraging them.

Let’s support others and have a happy and confident 2016 people.

What do you think, are resolutions important to you? Do you make any plans/goals throughout the year? Do you have anything to add, or maybe you disagree? I would love to hear your views.

Laters, Janet

I think Janet makes a very good point here -whether or not we choose to make resolutions doesn’t give us the right to look down on someone else for their choices. Let’s lift each other up instead of knocking each other down.