A new take on New Years

Lauren Fitzgerald – Arts & Entertainment Editor

Hello, and welcome to 2019. If you’ve been on any social media platform lately, you’ve most likely seen these four words plastered on every post, caption, and video: New year, new me. Like every other year, last year didn’t quite work out for these people goal-wise. This year, hear them out, will be different.

What I’ve noticed more frequently is that when people say, “New year, new me,” they tend to focus more on how they can change physically. These pledgers take on new diets, new routines and even new exercises hoping to achieve a healthier status or even the “beach body” they’ve been dreaming about since stumbling upon some fitness influencer’s Instagram account. They may even chop their hair to further highlight their change. It’s no secret that everybody wants to be better.

While this is all fine and dandy, New Year’s resolutions are a difficult concept to stay attached to. What I mean by this is that they are completely forgotten by mid-year. Why does this cycle of trying and giving up occur every year? Maybe we’re setting our standards too high, maybe the timing is wrong or maybe we’re not setting the right goals for ourselves.

Change isn’t something that just occurs physically. In fact, change also must occur mentally. In fact, you can’t be motivated to do the things that you want to if your mentality isn’t fully there. So, please drop the avocado toast and hear me out. You can’t transform in to the person that you want to be if your mind is stuck being the person that you were.

Another problem is the timing of these promises, or the “fad” behind it. I, myself, have never really been a guru for body image, nor have I ever made a New Years resolution. The one thing I find odd about these so called “resolutions” is that they’re solely focused on a certain time of year. Yes, that is what makes them special; but instead of just making promises for the new year, we should create positive goals for each day. We should aim to be kind, positive and self-loving every day, not just when it becomes a fad. In fact, my “every day resolution” is more than one resolution, and maybe yours should be too.

My first “every day resolution” is to spread love to others. Whether it be through handing money to those on the side of the road, donating at every mass or even making someone laugh, I want to contribute my time towards making others’ days better. There is a lot wrong with the world today, and I know that I’m not the only one who sees that. There is more hatred spewed than kindness spread, more hearts broken than hands linked. Sometimes, it’s the little things that make the difference and maybe even make the world better. If anyone needs anyone to talk to about anything, I’m here.

Another one is positivity. Even when days get hectic, aggravating or sad, I need to try to find at least one good thing in them to think about. Maybe it was the ice coffee I drank that morning, when I caught up with my friend or even seeing a dog pass by. If I can’t find anything, I have to make it better myself. There’s always time in your day for some self-care, even if it’s just for five minutes. I have to remember that the world that I live in, despite its darkest days, can also be beautiful. Life’s got nothing on me.

My biggest “every day resolution” is to be kind to myself. I’m never going to pull myself together if I keep tearing myself apart. I need to take time for myself mentally, remind myself of how good I am doing and not blame myself for situations that are completely out of my control. I can set goals, but if I don’t attain all of them then that is fine too. I’m only human, and I need to stop trying to be something more.

Change doesn’t have to be physical. Maybe we should focus more on how we can grow mentally. There is always room for growth there, no matter how much we believe that we are different than the person that we were before. If you’re inspired to follow my resolutions, then that’s a great start. On the other hand, if you still want to focus on becoming healthier physically, then, by all means, do so. I’ll just be over here eating ice-cream.

In 2019, and every year after this one, let’s promise to stop acting like we need to be something more than human and recognize who we are, and love ourselves and each other for it.