Resolutions offer a ‘fresh page’ but must be built on in slow, steady steps
It’s that time of the year when we look forward and wonder how to make the best of the time ahead. The quiet gap between late December and early January offers us time to reset our lives, giving us the chance to look back without hurry and map the road ahead with a clearer head.
We hope for something better. In front of us, we will have new calendars, year planners and self-development books. One such book on the table is called ‘The Ideas Book’, and its author, Kevin Duncan, promises ‘60 ways to generate ideas more effectively’. Now, who wouldn’t want that? If only ideas could be achieved as effortlessly as they are packaged. Another, borrowed from a library, is called ‘Ask Yourself Questions and Change Your Life’. One can hear the sceptic ask: Is life really that simple? Is it possible to read our way into self-improvement?
Self-improvement attempts can bring real change. Books on the topic can help, but under certain conditions and with a rider. Only when they act as catalysts rather than magic solutions can they do so, because the shift happens in the reader’s daily choices. Such books offer frameworks and examples that help us see our habits more clearly, organise our goals or break out of unhelpful patterns. They can give direction when life feels foggy. Their limits become obvious when we expect quick transformations or believe we will get this by passive consumption, rather than acting. Progress really comes from applying one or two practical ideas consistently and adapting them to our needs. At the end of the day, the book is merely a tool.
Yet, the human animal tends to be the eternal optimist. We mostly never give up on New Year resolutions. These could work only when they move from grand declarations to small, steady habits. Most people burn out by trying to overhaul their lives in one dramatic sweep.
The upside is that resolutions offer a clear psychological ‘fresh page’, helping anyone to pause and choose priorities. It helps to break patterns that have been drifting along unattended. Such resolutions can also spark motivation and a sense of direction.
Yet, as we fail to get the results anticipated, we realise that there can be a downside to such attempts too. Many resolutions are vague. Some are even overly ambitious or shaped by social pressure. This all leads to guilt or a sense of failure when our initial enthusiasm fades.
New Year resolutions also tend to ignore the slow, seasonal nature of real change. Change seldom obeys the calendar. So, it might be better to err on the side of resolutions that are specific, realistic, tied to daily or weekly routines, and treated as experiments rather than heroic promises.
Many might use the calendar-change period to review what actually worked in the past year. It is also a time to try and prune habits that drain time, set a few realistic goals, organise calendars, clean up digital clutter and even sketch monthly or quarterly priorities.
Others might prefer softer methods like journaling, the simple practice of regularly writing down our thoughts, experiences and plans in a way that allows us to clarify our minds and track our growth. Then, there is the possibility of reflecting on personal patterns, doing a financial check-up or setting up simple systems such as weekly planning routines or task-tracking tools. The end goal here is to start the New Year with lighter mental baggage. May it be kind to all of us.
