‘New Year, New You!’, ‘Make this year your year!’, ‘Become unrecognisable in 2026!’.

May the New Year bring you happiness, peace, prosperity, and a pounding of platitudes from every which way. Every year, the question of ‘what’s your New Year’s resolution?’ rears its smug head, and every year millions, if not billions (not an official figure), vow to completely transform their lifestyle.

At the risk of sounding cynical, I have not made a New Year’s resolution for the past four years because I am perfect because I know I won’t stick to them.

The problem with New Year’s Resolutions is the timing. The New Year strikes when we are at our most vulnerable: fresh off the month-long merriment of December when it’s too cold to exercise, the food is plentiful, and many a glass is raised. The cold, harsh reality of January can seem like fun is not allowed until March at the earliest, and so we feel we must now pay the price for all the enjoyment and throw ourselves into Reformer Pilates to appease the New Year.

Yet come 1^st January, staring down the barrel of a long 12 months of (supposedly) going to the gym five times a week, only drinking on Saturdays, or not buying sweet treats on weekdays; it can be tempting to wave goodbye to the New You, as they float away in a shimmering haze of golden potential.

The New Year Strikes when we are at our most vulnerable

The success rate of sticking to resolutions is widely known to be low: a recent Forbes study revealed only 17% of people are still persisting by April, with just 9% seeing it through to the next rendition of ‘Auld Lang Syne’.

Many studies also highlight humans’ biological need to slow down during winter, similar to how animals hibernate. So, if you find you are struggling to find the energy for your fitness journey, it is acceptable to blame science.

Another contributing factor to resolutions being abandoned is undoubtedly down to pressure. The old cliché of gym memberships skyrocketing in January with barely a Gymshark-clad soul in sight come February exists for a reason. People expect to wake up a completely different person on New Year’s Day, even if the motivation is not actually there.

Additionally, the sudden enforcement of never doing something again, especially something addictive such as not looking at your phone before bed, only spending 15 minutes a day on TikTok, or no longer biting your nails, is doomed to fail. One day early on you give in and break the resolution, feel the crushing weight of disappointment, and completely throw in the towel. Back to scrolling for hours until 3am with all 10 nails bitten down to the quick.  

People expect to wake up a completely different person on New Year’s Day

Of course, for some people, New Year’s resolutions can be the kickstart needed to adopt a healthier lifestyle; setting goals is crucial for success in any area of life. However, changing your lifestyle can happen at any point in the year. If you feel dissatisfied with how you treat your mind and body, take action when you’re more motivated rather than waiting for some random Thursday in the middle of winter.

Moreover, New Year’s resolutions can be transformative in a more personal sense. No need to look dramatically different or humbly brag about signing up for an Iron Man. Smaller aims which make a tangible difference in your day to day, such as trying to read a book a month, or go on a walk and listen to music for half an hour every day, are arguably more important and crucially, more achievable.

In summary, New Year’s resolutions can obviously work, but to reach the satisfaction of achievement, self-reflection is key. Are you really the type of person to ever actually want to workout every day? The New Year doesn’t always have to be about fitness and/or physical appearance, save that for Spring when going outside looks a tad more inviting. It is much better to think about what will actually bring you a feeling of fulfilment each day and go from there. Finally, be kinder to yourself if it does not work all the time and remember, comparison is the thief of joy.

Right, I’m off to my fourth spin class of the week.

Image: Stuart McGuire via Pixabay