Happy 2023! In the Chinese Zodiac Calendar, 2023 is the year of the rabbit, symbolizing longevity, prosperity, and peace. For some, that probably sounds like the perfect year, bringing a nice change to a not-so-good 2022. Others, however, might want the opposite.
Each person has their own ambitions and hopes for the new year, prompting one of the most popular questions asked around this time of year: what can I do to improve myself this year? In fact, every year, 38.5% of US adults create their own New Year’s resolutions in hopes of bettering themselves. But are New Year’s Resolutions really helpful? Or do they make us feel worse about not accomplishing what we hoped?
In the past, I never really created any resolutions. I thought that they were unhelpful and would ultimately make me feel worse at the end of the year when I failed to complete them (sort of similar to the “do not have expectations, so you do not feel bad when things do not meet them” mindset). However, this year I wanted to try something new and create some resolutions for 2023.
There are many subcategories of resolutions: social, emotional, physical, academic, and personal, among others. I found it pretty easy to come up with resolutions for each category.
After a contemplative thirty minutes, I filled my page with a decently long list of my 2023 New Year’s resolutions. Some were more generic, like spending less money and working on my physical well-being by running more, but I also came up with social and emotional goals that fit well with my current personal life.
I did not stop there. I felt in the zone and filled up multiple pieces of paper with lists such as “Things to Look Forward to in 2023,” “Things to Leave Behind in 2022,” and “Best Moments of 2022.” Even though I was excited to start a new year, it was nice to reflect on the great experiences I had in 2022, in addition to getting excited about all that 2023 has to offer.
I found that creating resolutions and reflecting on the year was very fulfilling. Putting pen to paper and writing down what I wanted to improve this year did not make me stressed like I thought it would, but instead left me with a feeling of accomplishment and more motivation to face the year ahead.
