The New Year Scaries: Do I have to Start my Resolutions on January 1st? By Kaya Pollack and Mariam Sanjak

The New Year brings about the same trend every single year– the pressure to become a new version of oneself starting January 1st. The gyms become more packed, social calendars are booked and busy, and the beginning of an unsustainable journey of growth starts because of the intense pressure to not fail. One of the most popular resolutions is starting a health journey. Gyms see a large spike in people coming to the gym, but a few weeks later, those numbers drop significantly. People start strong on their journey to eat healthier and then end up binging or going back to their original food schedule. What makes resolutions so hard to keep? 

Oftentimes, resolutions are seen as “All or Nothing Thinking,” which refers to a cognitive distortion where it is easy to view the situation as one extreme or the other: a complete success or a complete failure. This is also called “dichotomous thinking” or “polarized thinking.” Due to the pressure put on oneself, if there is one mistake or one missed day, it feels as though the resolution cannot be carried out, and it’s dropped. When making a resolution, it’s important to think about what an attainable and achievable goal is. It is easy to say you will work out 5 times a week, but consider the weather, cold and flu season, family and friend obligations, and all of the other details that go into living your day-to-day life. It is important to think about how you can add a resolution to your already functioning lifestyle. It seems fun to jump into a new goal, but it can also quickly become overwhelming. 

In different cultures, winter is seen as a reminder to rest and slow down. In snowy communities such as Russia, Nordic countries, and Arctic Indigenous communities, winter was a time to slow down. The cold weather and fewer hours of sunlight are not productive for producing high energy levels. Instead, many communities slept longer and used the winter season as a time of reflection and reinvestment into their communities. Starting a new journey on January 1st goes against what has traditionally been a slower season. That’s not to say that you can’t start a resolution on January 1st and be successful. To be successful is to reframe your thinking on how to make a resolution: 

1. Search for the “why” in the resolution. Ask yourself, “Why do I want to do this?” Are you ready for this change? Are you forcing yourself to change before you’re ready? Does it feel like you are doing it for yourself or others? Once the “why” is established, you will have parameters to go off of. Do you need internal or external validation and support in order to help you in this journey? 
2. What does your self-talk look like? Are you quick to think negatively about yourself if you are not progressing at the rate that you want? Do you remember to be kind to yourself? Do you know you can do better, or do you think you can do better? 
3. Do you think about your past and how it can affect your future? Did you grow up being told that you can’t achieve your goals? Were you talked down on? Did you experience a traumatic event that affects how you view yourself? Is your resolution to fix a negative behavior that was used as a coping mechanism during a hard time? 

There are a lot of questions to ask yourself before starting a journey of growth. It creates a strong foundation when you check in with yourself first. What do you believe you can achieve? How can you achieve it? We live in a world where everything is fast and result-oriented. Resolutions are not always quick to catch on. A gentle reminder that it takes 66 days for a habit to be established. The great news is that research found that even if you miss a few days, it does not set you behind or make you restart. Gains are still seen even after a short break. Take it slow, be kind to yourself, and remember that the true definition of a resolution is firmly deciding whether or not to do something. The first success of a resolution is committing to the decision, not perfecting it.