For the last couple of years, I’ve made and very proudly (and mostly) stuck to my New Year’s Resolution. All the experts say that if you choose something manageable, or somewhat easy, it is much easier to stick to.
Three years ago I vowed to make my bed every day, and I still do. In 2023, I resolved to not buy fast fashion, and I continue to think about my clothing purchases before I make them.
At the beginning of 2024, I was feeling perhaps overly confident in my ability to keep my New Year’s resolutions. Maybe I was being cocky but I thought I should pick something harder.
It was an epic fail.
This time almost a year ago, I made a New Year’s resolution to jump on a trend called "no screen Sundays." I know I’m addicted to my phone and I know my children watch too much TV.
I thought one day a week would be easy to turn off all screens. I had these visions of sitting around and playing board games with my children. I thought they’d use their time wisely and keep their rooms clean. I thought this resolution would bring us closer together and we would discover new hobbies and blah blah blah.
The only thing this resolution did was make me feel horrible about myself and even worse about my parenting.
For the first month, I tried really hard. My oldest daughter even took away my phone one Sunday to help me. It was a constant struggle to remind my kids and explain over and over and over again what we were doing and why.
I folded so many times. Someone was sick or someone was tired or or or … I kept telling myself it is just a habit we have to break. But it never clicked.
One random Sunday in the middle of summer, my oldest looked at me and said, "hey, isn’t it no screen Sunday?" Then I remembered the horribly naive idea I had six months prior. Cue the guilt once again.
I am not doing that to myself again. For 2025, I’ve decided to pick a New Year’s resolution that is more attainable. And something that is for me. It is probably not fair for me to drag my family into my lofty goals.
I do like the idea of New Year’s resolutions, starting fresh, having a goal, thinking about your future — even if it's just for a year. However, I’ve learned that I should listen to the experts (I suppose that is why they are the experts) and pick something easier.
This year, I’d like to read more. Maybe it is a small extension of my previous failure of a goal to watch less TV, but something more achievable.
I recently took a flight without my children and I took along a book. I read the entire thing during my flight. I forgot how much I love to read.
Reading can reduce stress, improve focus and memory and boost your intelligence.
I also think if I read more, maybe my children will see that and follow suit. Last year I tried to cut something out and it didn’t work, this year I am going to try and add something. Maybe that will be easier.
I’ll report back at the end of the year. But for now, I’ll take book recommendations. I prefer non-fiction.
Happy New Years!
