"New Year, Same Old You: Why Resolutions Are Like Leftovers—Forgotten by February"

We vow to eat healthier, hit the gym five days a week, finally finish that novel we’ve been “working on” for the last three years, start saving and generally transform into the best versions of ourselves. It's the one night we’re all genuinely convinced that this time, we will finally change.

But, let’s be honest: by the time the calendar hits February, half of us can’t even remember what our resolution was. What happened? Did we get hit by a meteor, or did our ambitions have a mid-life crisis before they even got started?

Why We Make Resolutions

There’s a universal charm to starting a new year. The 1st of January holds the same magic as a fresh notebook or a brand-new planner that we promise to use every day. It’s a clean slate, a time for self-improvement, as if 365 days of previous failures can all be wiped away with one decisive, overly optimistic New Year’s Eve toast. The promise of self-betterment feels like a moral obligation. It's the social equivalent of buying a gym membership and thinking "This time, I mean it!"

We want to believe that this year will be different. It's as though we’re collectively trying to right all our wrongs, and New Year’s resolutions are like a checklist for life’s reset button. We hope that by declaring our grand intentions publicly—whether it’s in the form of a social media post, a chalkboard sign in the kitchen, or an intense conversation at a party—we’ll somehow manifest change through sheer willpower.

But here’s the thing: the hope is real, but the follow-through? Less so.

The February Reality Check

It’s no secret that most New Year’s resolutions don’t survive the harsh realities of January 2nd. By the time February rolls around, many of us are back to our old habits with the same fervour as a dog returning to a comfy bed after a long walk. Gyms, which were packed in the first few days of January with people trying to "get their body right," are eerily quiet by mid-February. The new kale-based diet? Oh, that’s now replaced with the all-too-familiar comfort food binge, because who are we kidding? Life is stressful, and sometimes, pizza is the solution.

And don’t even get me started on those “read 50 books this year” resolutions. Sure, that sounds like a great idea when you're browsing through your Kindle at 1 AM on January 1st. But when it’s February, and the only book you’ve touched is the Netflix show synopsis, well, it turns out The Squid Game was technically a book, so we’re fine, right?

The Real Secret: Baby Steps (or Just Let It Go)

Okay, let’s be real. The reason New Year’s resolutions fail isn’t because we don’t try hard enough; it’s because we set ourselves up for failure with unrealistic expectations. The key to actually following through might not be in grand gestures like “losing 50 pounds” or “becoming fluent in Italian,” but rather in taking baby steps and making peace with the fact that progress is rarely linear.

So, maybe you don’t make it to the gym every day. Maybe you end up eating a pizza on the weekend, but did you walk around the block after dinner? Did you drink more water today? Progress, my friend. Progress.

If all else fails, there’s always next year’s resolution to lean on. After all, there’s no shortage of fresh starts in life—just don’t count on the 1st of January to be the only one.