New Year's Resolutions? Nah, not for me!
- Jan 1, 2025
- 2 min read
Why I don't make 'New Year' Resolutions and how not buying into this imposed idea of new beginnings on Jan 1st frees me to truly move forwards.
I have never been one to follow the crowd; when everyone is raving about a certain 'idol' or series, I am immediately disinterested. I don't want to be told how to think and feel - I want to discover for myself and at my own pace; when the time is right for me.
1st Jan as the New Year doesn't make sense to me.
Pre-Romans, the new year began in the Spring with the turning of the seasons - with the warmth and blossoms and prosperity in nature, we celebrated this 'new life'. But the Romans decided to move new year to the 1st January because they worshipped the God of New Beginnings, Janus. They moved us away from the natural cycle and rhythms of life and the seasons.
For me, the 1st Jan usually signals the beginning of the hardest part of winter - the temperature gets colder and spring feels a long way off. I still need to eat plenty of nourishing, fatty foods, need to sleep A LOT, and need early nights spent at home in the warmth and quiet. Now is not the time to push myself into crazy action, implementing healthier eating habits, running more, and trying to 'smash' life. January is still the time for reflection and energy preservation. I am like the squirrels - eating and sleeping in preparation for the energy and new life of spring.
Do what works for you
Now, you might be inspired by the idea of kicking off the new year with a bang, and find you can stick to your resolutions and targets, and this is brilliant. But if, like me, it all feels too exhausting at this time of year, then follow your intuition and bring in the new throughout the year, when the timing is right and you are motivated from the inside, not by a synthetic external pressure. And for now, as the wind howls and the rain lashes, scuppering my chances of even a New Year's day walk, let alone run (not that I was going to anyway!), I am comfortable in not setting any resolutions and continuing on my path to discovery and peace at my own pace. Have a beautiful day.
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