No Offence, but I Think the Anti-New Year's Resolution Trend Is BS — Here's Why

I get where you're coming from. Last year was too stressful, and you may have put too much pressure on yourself. You've got too much on your plate, and you can't even remember what your resolution was last year.

Therefore, I'm very much in favour of the shift toward self-care, restoration, regeneration, and keeping things more low-key and less competitive. All of this is going to do wonders for our mental health. But I think giving up on goal setting is a bad idea.

The trend right now is the "anti-resolution." Forgoing resolutions altogether. Ditching the time-honoured tradition of reflection, introspection, and planning for the sake of self-improvement. I call BS.

I get that as a society we're feeling a little burnt out, but that doesn't mean we should be giving up on our journey to become better people day by day. It means we should be adjusting our expectations and setting more realistic goals.

Your past resolutions likely didn't work out because you were more ambitious than you were realistic, which is common. You made a grandiose plan for an entire calendar year. But think about it: you have no idea what life can throw at you in 12 months, so why would you commit yourself to something so large scale with such an uncertain timeline?

Don't give up on your dreams, and don't give up on your goals. Think about what your big picture goals are, and set smaller, more manageable ones that'll help you reach the pie-in-the-sky dreams one day. If weight loss truly is your goal, think about tactics: in January, I want to drink more water every day; in February, I'll eat a healthy breakfast every day, and once I have that dialed in, I'll work out 30 minutes a day three times a week. It's all about starting small.

Set a simple, attainable, small goal for each month that you know you can keep. And it doesn't have to be for your physical health! Think about your mental health, your relationships, and things that make you feel happier. Because a happier you is a better you, and a happier you can contribute more to those around you and the world at large.

It's OK to feel discouraged, and it's OK to say "enough is enough" — but don't let frustration get in the way of you becoming the best possible version of yourself.