Are New Year’s Resolutions Obsolete?

Try Past Year’s Reflections Instead!

Photo by Caleb Minear on Unsplash

When you look into the mirror of your life what is staring back? We’ve all made the resolutions, only to break them, year after year.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. ~Albert Einstein

We all agree, however, that changes are necessary. We all want to become our best self. The beginning of each year is the perfect time to plan this expanding of the self. This does not make resolutions any less insane.

I decided that this year I would apply my newly found psychological powers towards a new strategy for achieving goals for the upcoming year. I am simply going to take a set number of years, I wouldn’t recommend more than ten years to start. I will define areas of my life that I wish to concentrate on and then reflect on the regrets, what I would have done differently, things I would change if I could, and things that didn’t go as planned. This reflection will then help me decide what will become important to me in 2020.

This is what it looks like:

2011:

Relationships: My relationship in 2011 was just “weird.” I was with a narcissistic, sociopath who was also an addict/alcoholic. Upon reflection the relationship didn’t last long and he did help me to move across country so would I change it? No, no regrets only a lesson learned.

Children: I moved my children across country away from their family. I would not do anything differently and the move went better than planned.

Career: I started substitute teaching and worked in multiple schools. No regrets here as I gained invaluable experience. Wouldn’t change a thing and this lead to my career in teaching so it worked out better than I had planned.

Health: I first discovered in 2011 that I had high blood pressure. My back started hurting and this was the beginning of my health going down hill fast. I regret the food choices I made and the amount of food I consumed. Would I change anything? Yes! I would change all of my life style habits that I see contributed to my health problems!