An Ode to the Discarded New Year's Resolution
New Year’s is a time of reflection, a time of contemplation. We look back upon old memories, but with this holiday, it’s more through a critical, albeit idealistic eye. This revisitation helps to formulate New Year’s Resolutions, a tradition upheld through centuries.
These resolutions provide an opportunity for self-improvement, where people have the potential to fundamentally change an element of their life. But, alas, they tend to be discarded before any groundbreaking progress can be made.
Somehow, the novelty never wears off. We dwell on past occurrences and personal developments, zone in on an unsatisfactory component, make a declaration for a better quality of life, and then, we halt. Whether our claims fade with time, break on January 2nd, or just never even begin, most Americans fail to keep their resolutions for the duration of January.
There’s an allure that resolutions have maintained over humankind. It’s the reason why we never tire of making and breaking these hopeful intentions year after year after year. Maybe it’s the idea of renewal, the idea of reforming and improving and investing in ourselves. Or maybe it’s the comfort found in making such a declaration. Even though in our hearts we know it won’t last, the brief sense of security covers our own shortcomings. Or maybe it’s simply a tool for perspective. We age as time moves on, but the magnitude of a year passing confirms our desire for growth. That take on New Year’s resolutions resonates most with me. As a senior entering adulthood, I don’t feel 18, and making a resolution is an outlet to claim an ownership – however fleeting – over my age and all the weight it’s supposed to carry. But I think most everyone shares the same disconnect occasionally between their lives and their ages, and that’s why New Year’s Resolutions have remained relevant and so pervasive. People want to feel as if they are going somewhere, as opposed to stagnating, even if that maturity doesn’t always coincide with growing old. The desire for growth, therefore, is inherently present in society, and will always be. As generations rise and fade, friends and families will most likely always form resolutions certain to be broken, because the result is not what matters. It’s the reflection into ourselves, as it allows a headspace for self-awareness that is essential to life, to living, to moving forward, even if at heart we forever feel unchanged.
Cover artwork by Yara Van Drunen.