“This new year is going to be my year of success. I’m going to concentrate more on the things I am passionate about and launch my own company. It’s way past due.”
Hmm! By 12: a.m. on the first day of the new year, this appears to be the standard rule for the majority of Nigerians. Some even go further and post on social media platforms, “This is my best year yet.” Of course, no one ever hopes for a horrible year.
Setting resolutions for the new year is essential to our lives; in fact, most Nigerians believe that having their resolutions down is the fastest way to personal growth.
As the new year approaches, we want to let go of the things that hindered advancement and pick up constructive habits that will help us grow in the new year or coming years.
Yet, many people forget that even though it’s called a new year, it’s still a day after December 31. This means that changing old behaviours requires commitment and consistency; it cannot be done like waving a magic wand and having immediate effects.
Before we dive in further, let’s get a clear description of what a new year resolution really is.
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What is A New Year Resolution?
A new year resolution is a tradition in which people promise to better themselves or accomplish a certain objective in the new year or coming years. It typically entails setting a personal objective or vowing to oneself to start or quit a bad habit or behaviour.
The goal is to approach the new year with a positive outlook and a renewed sense of purpose and to work toward improving oneself.
A few examples of frequent New year resolutions most Nigerians would always make include losing weight, getting more active, giving up smoking, making friends, starting a business, picking up a new hobby, travelling more, conserving money, and spending more time with loved ones.
New Year Resolution: The Good
Making new year resolutions can guide your path in the coming years. It keeps you on your toes and gives you something to look forward to achieving. It reminds you that there is something you aimed at achieving in the recent year, which enables you to work towards it.
Here are four benefits of having a new year resolution:
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Improves your focus
Making resolutions can help you identify and focus on specific goals or areas of your life that you want to improve or change. Having a sense of direction can help you in achieving your goals.
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Personal development
Working toward a goal can help you gain new abilities, get past limitations, and discover more about yourself. Personal development and a sense of accomplishment may result from this.
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Improved motivation
Setting goals or making resolutions inspires people to take action towards them. This can assist you in staying on course and overcoming any possible challenges that occur.
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It gives you control over your life
Making resolutions can give you a greater sense of control over your life and the future. Taking the initiative to change your circumstances and accomplish your goals empowers you to do bigger things.
New Year Resolution: The Bad
A major drawback of New Year’s resolutions is that many people set unrealistic goals for themselves, sometimes within a short period.
While these goals may be necessary, they can be difficult to achieve, especially if someone has a busy schedule or other life obligations and the expected period for results is not long enough.
When this happens, people begin to lose motivation over time. Some negative aspects of new year resolutions include:
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Unrealistic expectations
Many Nigerians make very ambitious or challenging goals for themselves, which causes dissatisfaction and disappointment when they do not have the resources to achieve them within the expected time due to hurdles being faced in the country.
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Feeling ashamed or guilty
If a person fails to keep their resolutions, they may feel guilty or humiliated about it. As a result, they may experience bad feelings and may even become depressed or frustrated with themselves.
Depression is becoming rampant in Nigeria because everybody wants to “Hammer” and become devastated when it seems difficult or impossible.
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Loss of motivation
Even if someone begins with the best of intentions and a great deal of dedication when carrying out their aspirations, they may eventually experience a loss of motivation and find it difficult to remain dedicated to their goals.
This happens as time goes by, particularly if their goals are too bogus.
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Desperation
In such situations, people set out to do anything they can to achieve their goals when they see time has elapsed and they are yet to tick off some of their resolutions.
This is more common among Nigerian youths. They tend to go into fraudulent acts, all in the name of accomplishing their resolutions.
New Year Resolution: The Ugly
Making New year resolutions have a lot of sides that are not so good at all. They seem more deceptive than real; sometimes, it may feel like you are on the right track, but you are not.
Some Nigerians make certain resolutions not because they are passionate about them but because they want to impress or show off. Some instances are:
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Pushing blames
When new year resolutions and goals are not met, people begin blaming others, and they begin making excuses for their mistakes instead of identifying what the real cost of failure is.
Some may even feel like they have been forsaken by the people around them.
In such situations, statements like, “I would have achieved it if I had someone backing me up.”
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Pressure to belong
Even if someone isn’t genuinely interested in making changes or bettering themselves in a particular aspect, there may be social pressure to make new year resolutions.
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Excessive concentration on self-improvement
Even though it is necessary to aim for personal growth and development, excess concentration on self-development can lead to feelings of inadequacy if the particular path you are trying so hard to develop isn’t the right one for you.
You begin to prioritise your personal objectives over the group’s objectives if you are in a team.
New Year Resolution Ideas
New year resolutions should be made in order to give you direction in the new year, but endeavour to make them realistic and attainable.
Here are some new year resolutions to make for a healthy lifestyle as the years go by.
- Manage your budget in a better way because you need resources to thrive.
- Build strong connections that can guide your path and let go of those who tend to take you backward.
- Make friends and socialise more; good tidings would never meet you in your enclosed space.
- Read books concerning growth to spark your passion
- Develop your skills according to what you are passionate about
- Join a club or groups to network
- Exercise to calm your mind
- Eat and Live healthy
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How To Achieve New Year Resolutions
Every year that goes by, there is always something you want to stop doing and something that you would want to do but you can’t just seem to get it right.
This year, stop postponing and going round the circle. Whatever decisions and actions you would want to take, try to get to the end or at least see it through to a certain extent.
Below are five ways to achieve your new year resolution;
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Keeping it real
This is the best way to start. That resolution has to be attainable. If you want to stop a certain habit, you have to make sure it is something you can do without and if you would want to achieve a goal, look around your resources and network and make sure it is something that is realistic within an accurate time bound.
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Talk about it
Now, you need to tell someone about the things you want to do. They could remind you about it; something like, “Hey, I just wanted to check up on you, I hope you are not taking much sugar. Remember we said we won’t be doing that this year.”
When you have that, it makes you go fast on that resolution.
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Have a plan
You do not want to keep saying it and not doing it. Draft out an outline on how you would want to go about it and begin to take action.
When you tell someone about your goals and they are like, “Do you have a plan?” and then next, you are stuttering for words; that will make you look unserious.
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Reward yourself
Commend yourself on how far you have come even if it’s a 40% progress.
Do not beat yourself up on the things that you have not been able to accomplish but instead be thankful for the things you have done so far.
They have a way of sparking in positivity, it brings in the feeling of, “I have been able to do this, so getting the other one right wouldn’t be impossible”
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Stick to it
Your resolutions are going according to plan and you are excited. Avoid sliding back and be consistent with what you have been doing.
Even if you are on a 99% stage with that goal, it doesn’t mean you cannot go back to those mistakes. Have a, “Forward ever and Backward never” mindset.
In Summary
When making New Year Resolutions, you need to weigh your options really well. Ask yourself these questions; “Do I have the capacity to achieve this?” “Is this really relevant right now?”
“Who among my friends can help me achieve this?” “What are the pros and cons of getting this?” and “What is the possibility of achieving this?”
Also, making new year eve resolutions seem to give you the determination because it is a new year and we all want to get it right this time. But, no one said making resolutions on the first day of the year or the last day of the previous year is the best way to thrive; you need to plan ahead of time.
At every point you see an opportunity or you feel something isn’t working for you, seek to carry it out at that time and do not wait until the new year to start taking action.
What do you think about this? Tell us in the comment section.
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About Author
- Hi. My name is Ogechi. I am a digital content writer who is passionate about making discoveries in tech and lifestyle and presenting them in words and in an exciting manner for my readers to have that ‘divine imaginative experience’.
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