As we step into the new year, let’s rethink the whole “New Year, New You” idea. Instead of feeling pressured to make resolutions, why not make January and all of 2024 a time to appreciate the good things in our lives? This idea, shared with me last year, is all about treating the year like a blank canvas.
Admit it—we’ve all seen January as a fresh start at some point, a chance to forget the challenges of the past year and start over. On many January 1sts, I’d find myself in bed (probably with a hangover), making mental lists of big changes to become my ‘best self.’ Losing weight, living healthier, giving up drinking—the whole deal. But deep down, I always felt like I couldn’t really make those changes stick.
As I got older, I realised it’s not just about having strong willpower. We’re not like reset buttons that can magically erase problems and memories. The appeal of a reset is to get rid of past troubles, but it doesn’t really work that way.
I found out that true happiness comes from facing problems instead of ignoring them. Trying to live life with only part of yourself doesn’t really work. I learned that real strength comes from accepting everything about myself, even the tough stuff. And this isn’t just for women—it’s for everyone.
Change, I found out, is an ongoing thing, not just a one-time decision. The whole “New Year, New You” idea puts too much pressure on specific times for change, and it can lead to procrastination. Instead, let’s check in with ourselves all year, making small, steady changes.
The problem with the ‘new you’ idea is that it forgets about the good stuff already in you. Instead of generic goals like ‘I want to be healthier,’ think about the reasons behind those choices. For me, January is a time to think about what makes me happy and what’s meaningful, appreciating the journey instead of getting stuck on what I didn’t achieve.
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