New Year, New Me?

New year, new me, or maybe not! I think most of us have heard this phrase by now, and it is becoming increasingly common. So, I wanted to take this opportunity to explore the “new year, new me” trend.

Firstly, resolutions are a personal preference, they can coincide with the change of a calendar year, or they can start at any point. If you want to start something, stop something, or simply just change something then that is on you and as long as it is not hurting anybody then why the heck not? The beginning of a new year feels like a good time to do this, the holiday slump is over, and we may feel revitalized for the year that is coming. However, the question to ask yourself is if the resolution you have made is something you want or something you feel you have to do because of pressures from the world around you. All too often people, myself included, get caught up in making a resolution that is unhealthy, at least in motivation. We diet, exercise, and more from the perspective that who we are and how we are is wrong or broken and needs “fixed” in some way.

These kinds of changes are often amplified with the “new year, new me” trend, it's not changing one thing, it's changing loads of things or everything. It's the idea that who you are needs to be thrown out and replaced for the better. This ties very much into the disposable culture that we have become accustomed to thanks to consumerism. Instead of keeping something that's a little loved and not “perfect” we feel the pressure to throw it out and buy a new one. Clothes, electronics, furniture, and so much more can fall into this realm, and with the growing New Year new me trend we find ourselves being forced into this throw-it-away and replace-it culture.

Take a look around your home, find those things that you love because of the memories and that are not perfect but undoubtedly loved. Perhaps they need a wash, or perhaps a paint job, it's not high on the list of priorities because you love it as it is, and also you wouldn't dream of throwing it out to replace it with something new and without connection.

This is how we could be seeing ourselves, not as something disposable but something to be loved, imperfect but undoubtedly loved. Who you are is influenced by all the bad and all the good that has come before now, and whilst there is nothing wrong with self-improvement, total replacement isn't the way to go about it.

So if you are making New Year's resolutions, make them something that helps you grow as you want to grow. Make them something you care about, something you want future you to look back on and be proud of the effort, it doesn't matter if it's something that lasts a month, a year, or a lifetime. All that matters is that it is something you want and something that is good for you and your growth.