New Year, New You?

2019 is nearly three days old, days are getting bigger and spring is around the corner - well, a corner somewhere along the way. For some reason, inspired by the New Year, many of us promise ourselves that we will do all sorts of things that will improve/transform our lives and/or those of others, creating the famous 'New Year's Resolutions'; these are usually made in haste and ignored soon thereafter.

How did you spend the days around the turn of the year, the ones that helped push you to make your resolutions? I was on a Greek island, Andros, which was eerily quiet as most of the permanent residents seize the opportunity to get away and head to the mainland - often the bright lights of Athens - for a bit of R & R. Most cafes, eating places and shops were closed, streets were empty, the weather was wintery and the whole experience was completely different to the 'normal' summer experience one is familiar with. To the locals the invading occasional residents appeared to be insane weirdos, heading to a place where nothing was happening, but for the invaders it represents a chance to get away from it all, to relax in the warmth of friendship with like-minded souls. But have we also made resolutions, most of which we are unlikely to keep?

I feel I speak for most when I say that we have vowed to eat less and more healthily, that we will look after ourselves and our health better, that we will be more productive/caring/human. Most resolutions revolve around these things, though you can add details like joining a gym, losing weight, fitting in to smaller size clothes, tor more about being good/honest/whatnot. Most, whatever their nature, will barely last to the end of January.

So are all New Year's Resolutions useless? Should we just never bother, as most will fall by the wayside? To my mind, no, we should bother, we should try to set ourselves goals irrespective of whether we subsequently fail. Perhaps the timing of the New Year places unnecessary strain on things, coming as it does towards the end of a festive season, a season of excess, at least in the modern tradition, making resolutions weaker and, perhaps forced. And, yes, in fact when we have overdone things in one way or another we are more willing to espouse a change, with the beginning of the New Year providing the excuse, a landmark, a starting point. We should not allow the fact that the starting point is somewhat frivolous to affect our pursuit of our, often very worthwhile, goals.

You guessed correctly, dear reader, that in saying these things aloud I am partly talking to myself, trying to convince myself of the wisdom of following a path of intelligent self-awareness and care, with regular exercise and irregular, limited indulgence. I am listening, but will I heed? Will you stick to your resolutions?

Let's compare notes soon. Will in a couple of months time be OK?