The Downside of New Year’s Resolutions

As 2009 draws to a close, many of us go through preparations for the imminent onset of the new year – preparations that range from donning sequins for fancy parties to developing meticulous plans for what have been deemed essential life changes.

The arrival of a new year is appealing for many seeking a fresh start and an escape from past mistakes. The opportunity for a new beginning is relished most by those seeking an easy fix for problems that usually require more time and effort to solve than people really have (or want) to commit. Nonetheless, each year, most of us sit down and write a list of ways that will help us take advantage of this new beginning.

It seems that in recent years, it has become much more common for thousands upon thousands of these like-minded lists to land in recycling bins and garbage cans not long after the close of the previous year. Why then, do we bother writing them in the first place? Why do we aspire to improve ourselves and the world around us so enthusiastically when we are, at the same time, so ready to dismiss our goals without any real consideration?

With the breakneck pace of today’s society, in my opinion, the answer may lie simply in the realms of a breach of maximum capacity. So much is expected of people of all ages, at all times. Many of us are victims of constant stress and the pressure to deliver success, money and intelligence while still maintaining a set of thriving social and charitable obligations.

The addition of the traditional and seemingly mandatory New Year’s resolutions can be enough to push some people off the proverbial edge. Instead of contributing to the quest for happiness and balance, the pressure of extra goals can be a cause of more harm than help for those already teetering on the line of activity overload.

It seems logical, then, that the key to achieving our idealistic resolutions lies in just how manageable they are. If the goals seem too menacing, we’ll be less likely to attempt success when failure seems so likely. Instead of succumbing to the intimidation, we should stop and think about how we can realistically affect positive change. By breaking goals into small steps and being reasonable about unavoidable setbacks, it is possible to realize dreams, all while keeping the rest of our lives under control.