‘New year, new me’ is a mantra that no one is falling for anymore.
When the clock strikes midnight on 31 December and the calendar year shifts up a notch, we don’t do a reverse-Cinderella and magically become a better version of ourselves.
Approximately 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February, but what is a new year without some sort of promise to at least attempt to be a better version of ourselves.
Perhaps we are statistically more likely to fail because New Year’s resolutions are usually rather individualistic. You already spend 365 days a year with yourself and if you truly wanted to make a change, you could have done so already at the right time, not at an hour dictated by tradition.
I don’t blame anyone for taking on self-centred resolutions – like changing weight, working out or eating differently – because they most likely have been heavily influenced by an outside source with a large advertising budget.
The same alcohol brands that lure you in with their glitzy Christmas campaigns, will soon be offering zero percent alternatives for dry January. Meat brands will be offering vegan versions of chicken for Veganuary with some god-awful re-hashing of the word, spelled without vowels.
Gym franchises will be desperate for your custom. Hopefully their campaigns will be more about improving fitness than body-shaming potential customers into signing up. Lord knows we’ve had enough of that over the years.
Perhaps we could start by making a pledge to others, instead of ourselves
Either way, companies will be desperate for you to part with your well-earned cash come 1 January. In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, they will be trying even harder to convince you that their product or their service will change your life for the better. New Year, same old corporate advertising.
So as capitalism and individualism join hands to sing Auld Lang Syne at midnight tomorrow, how can we be resolute in making a more substantial change as we make our way into 2023?
Perhaps we could start by making a pledge to others, instead of ourselves.
It’s something that I’m vowing to do myself this year, instead of my usual cycle of: resolution, relapse, repeat.
Unlike vowing to make a change for the sake of my vanity or health, I’m pledging to make a difference in the wider world. To get more involved in charity work, to support causes close to my heart and try to make an impact beyond my own self-improvement.
That charity you have always wanted to support but could never find the time or the funds to do so? Get in touch to ask them if they have any volunteering opportunities in the year ahead because I guarantee it could make you happier in a more substantial way than any diet ever could.
Perhaps you’ve been meaning to reconnect with an estranged friend or relative you simply lost contact with over the years but haven’t found the right time to reach out.
Old habits die hard, so it’s unrealistic to make a significant change to your lifestyle in the space of a day
At the risk of sounding like a terrible motivational quote page on Instagram, making a resolution for the benefit of someone else will benefit you in the long run, too.
If volunteering isn’t your thing, maybe you could pledge to speak up a little more on political issues.
In a year that’s seen the war on Ukraine, three prime ministers, an economic crisis and strike action across vital public services in the UK, public engagement is more important than ever.
Politicians need your support to keep their jobs, so if there’s something you’re unhappy about in your area, get in touch with your local MP and let them know about it. If you support our striking nurses calling for better pay and better working conditions, share their posts to your social media, talk to friends and family about these issues even if it means having a less than pleasant conversation.
There are plenty of ways in which we can improve our community health for the long-term, rather than simply going on a short-term detox.
Old habits die hard, so it’s unrealistic to make a significant change to your lifestyle in the space of a day. What’s realistic, however, is making a resolution to take part in one small act of support, kindness or help for those who need it.
Plus, it’s free, you don’t have to do it every day and only you will know if you’ve fallen off the wagon.
In a world where self-care can so often stray into self-centeredness, one of the most radical acts you can take part in is to break with the tradition of self-improvement.
So vow instead to make improvements in your relationship with the outside world.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk.
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