It鈥檚 an annual end-of-year exercise in futility for many. But a clean slate has arrived for the next round of resolutions.
From the first spray of fireworks to the closing chorus of 鈥淎uld Lang Syne鈥� 366 days into the future 鈥� 2024 is a leap year 鈥� it could be the year for finally achieving long-elusive goals, fulfilling aspirations and being resolute on all those New Year resolutions.
鈥淎s humans, we are creatures that aspire,鈥� said Omid Fotuhi, a social psychologist who is a motivation and performance researcher.
鈥淭he fact that we have goals, the fact that we want to set goals is just a manifestation of that internal and almost universal desire to want to stretch, to want to reach, to want to expand and grow,鈥� said Fotuhi, the director of learning innovation at Western Governors University Labs and a research associate at the University of Pittsburgh.
鈥淣ew Year鈥檚 resolutions are one of those ways in which we do that,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 something very liberating about a fresh start. Imagine starting on a blank canvas. Anything is possible.鈥�
If so, could this be the year to run a marathon, vanquish (or make peace with) old foes such as the bathroom scale and a thickening waist? Maybe learn Mandarin or register to vote, and actually vote? So many questions, and so much time to delay.
Tim Williams used to issue himself a panoply of resolutions: lose weight, drink less, exercise more and yada yada.
Now, he doesn鈥檛 bother.
鈥淚n the past, I would make them, and I would fail or give up on them or whatever,鈥� said Williams, a part-time resident of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Carla Valeria Silva de Santos, a Florida transplant from Brazil, wants to learn to play the guitar. A native Portuguese speaker, she wants to learn Spanish and improve her English.
With any resolution, she said, the ultimate goal is 鈥渢o improve your life and be in peace with yourself.鈥�
Josh Moore, another Fort Lauderdale resident, sees things in line with the natural philosopher Sir Isaac Newton and physics. For every action there must be an equal reaction.
鈥淚f you do something like eat a bunch of candy or a bunch of desserts at a holiday party, go run,鈥� he said while interrupting a jog with his dog. 鈥淢aybe you went out drinking too much and you might have a hangover. But then next day when you鈥檙e feeling better, go to the gym.鈥�
Too many people are too soft on themselves, he posited. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to actually hold yourself accountable.鈥�
Resolutions don鈥檛 have to be big, grandiose or overly ambitious, Fotuhi said.
Even if they are, he said value should not exclusively be derived from the achievement but also be measured by what you become by trying to better yourself.
鈥淕oals are only there to serve a function to get you started,鈥� Fotuhi said. 鈥淚f they don鈥檛 do that, then maybe that鈥檚 not the appropriate goal for you.鈥�
In other words, it is a time to recalibrate goals and expectations, he said, adding that some people hang on to outdated goals for way too long.
鈥淚f you set a goal that鈥檚 overly ambitious, that doesn鈥檛 have the effect of getting you excited and making you believe that it鈥檚 possible, then maybe you should think about a goal that鈥檚 a little bit more within your reach 鈥� starting with a 5k for instance, then moving up to 10K,鈥� Fotuhi said.
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