The Hilarity of New Years Resolutions

As one year comes to an end and another one begins, society creates this need for change and betterment. We make ourselves promises to make some sort of personal change. Whether it be to lose weight or have more patience, we all fall victim to the same idea that this year's going to be different. Not that this year can't be different; just that come March, most of us have already forgotten what it was we were trying to change in the first place.

I'm certainly no special case. I guess in a way, maybe this blog is my New Years resolution. Who knows, maybe in March I will have proven myself correct and forgotten this blog even exists. Every year, I set the same goals. Usually revolving around "you need to work out more." To my credit, every year I get better and better about my work out habits. But that's not to say I'm not like every other die-hard-January-gym-junkie that turns back into a couch potato in February. I know that I wont be able to get near the gym for the next 2 or so months unless I go at 8 am (we're college kids.. mornings are not our friends). But as soon as March rolls around, the novelty of the year starts to wear off and people settle back into their old habits.

Lack of commitment aside, most of these half-hearted resolutions are just far too unrealistic. Too many people get a little over excited by the "new year, new me" concept and set themselves up for failure right out of the gate. Someone who hasn't eaten a vegetable in months suddenly wants to become vegetarian. Or, for consistency's sake, there's the couch potato that suddenly wants to start working out 6 days a week. These lofty goals seem like a great idea until the New Year goggles wear off and they realize there's a reason they weren't a vegetarian or a gym rat before this. It's hard. I think that if we were more honest with ourselves, these New Years resolutions would have a greater chance of sticking. But the problem with that is saying "I'm going to be a vegetarian" is way more exciting to tell people than "I'm going to do a better job of folding my laundry...sometimes."

Of course, the start of a new year is always exciting; there's no denying that. As most of us go on and begin to forget our resolutions, I truly do hope that 2013 brings you joy, challenges, and self improvement that will continue to build in years to come. Hopefully tomorrow I'll make it to the gym.....