13 Reasons I Don't Make New Year's Resolutions ...

One of the best reasons not to make New Year's resolutions is because the tradition doesn't really make sense. Who started this whole thing? They have a lot to answer for, that’s for sure. Just because we’re starting a new calendar year seems a rather inadequate reason for making changes. It’s just an arbitrary date. Why should you make your life better just because it is a new year?

I’ve not made any resolutions for at least 25 years – the reason being that I’ve never managed to keep one in my life. In fact, I can’t even remember what they were. To be honest, they were probably pretty stupid anyway.

What do we resolve to do? The same things every year. And why do we do that? Is it because we didn't keep them last year. Or the year before. Or the year before that. Maybe it’s best to see them as goals, rather than a must-do list.

Resolutions always seem to me to be unrealistic aspirations, as if they are intended to make us a truly good person. Well, nobody’s perfect! There’s no harm in making some changes every now and then, but let’s be realistic.

Why wait until New Year's to make a list of things you want to do? If you want to get qualified, be nicer to people or stop being a doormat, then there’s no time like the present, whatever time of year it is. It doesn't take a special date; self-improvement takes place all year long.

Sometimes writing lists works for me, and sometimes it doesn't. Ticking off easy lists of tasks works, but the problem with resolutions is that it can be difficult to make them work, since it’s not like writing a shopping list. You may have to put a lot of work into it, which in turn can make the list a little overwhelming.

It’s demoralizing if you don’t achieve your resolutions. Let’s suppose you want to lose ten pounds by spring. You only manage to lose five. Do you feel pleased that you lost some? No, you criticize yourself for not losing the full amount. Even though you worked really hard, you might not have lost the weight.

Having a long list of things that you are determined to do can be very daunting. You decide that you want to achieve these things, but when you actually get down to it, you find it’s a lot harder than writing a list. Sometimes, your New Year's resolutions can even be unrealistic, which in turn can make your list even more daunting!

In January, everyone loves to talk about their resolutions. It makes them feel good about themselves, even if they haven’t done anything to fulfill their goal. If someone aims to eat healthier and actually does so, that’s great for them. But most people will tell everyone how they’re going to start going green, but then never actually do so.

Are you trying to change yourself because you want to or because you’re expected to? If you’re only creating a resolution in order to fit in, it’s pointless. You should never do something simply because society is urging you to. Make your own decisions. If you don’t want to make a resolution, that’s fine.

In order to create a resolution, you have to find something you don’t like about yourself. If you can’t think of anything off of the top of your head, don’t strive to list your flaws. If you’re confident with yourself, you shouldn’t try to think negatively. You might as well enjoy your happiness.

If you set a goal for yourself at any other time of year, you can keep it to yourself. However, around New Year’s, everyone will ask you about your resolution. Once you tell them, they’ll ask you about it whenever you see them. If you fail to complete it, everyone will remind you of that failure whenever they ask you how that resolution is going.

In the end, it’s your choice. If you don’t feel like making a resolution, then don’t make one. If you think a resolution could help you become a better person, then go ahead and make one. It may be a new year, but you’re still in charge of making your own decisions.

There are a lot of writers here that have New Year's resolutions, so we'd love to know yours too. Readers, do you have a list for 2018? Are you better than me at keeping them, or did you give up long ago?