New Year resolutions often emphasize on weight loss, developing a hobby, exercising, or increased productivity, thus suggesting that we’re not sufficient as is. It turns life into a continuous task of self-improvement, robbing it of its joy. This year, let’s resolve to embrace life without the constant pressure to fix ourselves all the time.

Let’s aim to enjoy life by focusing on additions rather than subtractions. To start, let’s incorporate a superfood into our daily diet each month.

In the realm of health and wellness, superfoods are recognized as nutritional powerhouses, offering significant benefits to overall health. These include plant-based foods and select animal products known for their exceptional nutrient density. Superfoods play a vital role in promoting a holistic and healthy lifestyle.

We can elevate our well-being with the curated inclusion of twelve superfoods — one for each month in 2024.

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As the clock strikes 12, the calendar resets and a new chapter is unveiled. Here are 12 resolutions that can help you revamp your life this New Year.

January 2024: The Healthy Wealthy Way

“Eat healthy, think healthy, and walk healthy.” Start right by speaking kind words that make you love yourself and others. Live the healthy way, work out and practise gratitude.

February 2024: Go Spick-and-Span!

Declutter your home and workspace, especially the digital space. Tidy your email inbox, organize files, and unsubscribe to unnecessary notifications.

March 2024: Penny Peaks

Identify your wants and needs. Take control of your finances, save more, and eliminate debts to become independent, secure and stable. This will widen opportunities for future endeavours.

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It’s not just making a New Year’s resolution that’s important; it’s about keeping it!

A few days after the New Year, a local school had a party for its teachers and the principal asked all of them to give him a list of the resolutions they had made at the beginning of the year. They did so, and on the day of the teacher’s function, he put up the list. There was a general feeling of bonhomie and good humour as they read each other’s resolutions, except for one teacher, “Where is my resolution,” she asked the principal crossly, “Did you think it was unworthy of being displayed?”

The principal assured her that he had no such compulsions and that her paper had obviously been misplaced, “Misplaced!” she screamed, “How could you misplace my paper and not any of the others?” The principal tried to calm her down, but the lady was furious and ranted and raved, till her superior, in order to quieten her, said that he would go to his office and see whether it was there.

The paper was there, and as the principal read what the resolution was, he broke into a chuckle, which slowly turned into a sad smile:

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The irony of this resolution…

Who hasn’t read the fun Gulliver’s Travels? Author Jonathan Swift loved resolutions — that’s why he wrote not one, but seventeen! His aspirations ranged from the acceptable ‘don’t tell the same story over and over to the same people’ to the very strange ‘not to be fond of children or let them come near me’. What a pity, Mr Swift. Children adore your book and would have loved to have met you!

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2021 hit us before we realized and it’s not been a great previous year for many. And yet 2020 has been that teacher who’s taught us a lot about ourselves, life, existence and humanity in general. To not take anything for granted — health, wellness, education, friendships, family and more. Did you make any resolutions in January for how you wanted to spend this year? Two months have passed, and time has now gathered the speed of a concord aircraft; it’s flying faster than we can cope up with.

What drives resolutions?

Motivation is the energy source for accomplishing goals. When we resolve to study more, eat healthy, or be less argumentative, for instance; we could be functioning from many different internal visions. These could vary based on the resolution we make, but are all focused on getting to a better state or space than we already are at. Think of the motivators, for example, for the resolution to argue less.

• You’ve been told that you’re rude.
• You could lose your internet privileges.
• Friends are seemingly upset with you.
• You get headaches when you’re upset.
• You don’t like how angry you get.
• Respecting others more.

Whatever it is that you are aiming at, either external motivations or an inner energy force; both are feeding into the willingness to stick to your resolution and resist the temptation to falter. But then, you are human, and you can slip. Do you recall any of the traits that may have contributed to your slip-ups? When you were so sure you had made up your mind, yet tumbled? Here are four likely obstacles, the reasons why your resolutions may sizzle out even though you were certain you would keep them up:

1. Lack of self-control

By design, humans are vulnerable to temptation. It takes immense focus to not lose sight of the goal we’ve set for ourselves. Temptation works its charm by blurring the distant vision to distort the target, and make it seem unimportant for the moment.

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Haven’t we all endured some or many of these?

• Parents telling us that we’re moving home.
• Class teacher saying she’s leaving school.
• A close friend moving away from the city.
• Drifting away emotionally from a sibling.
• Outgrowing our super-favourite outfit.

How did we react when these happened? Did we get excited at the prospect of a new neighbourhood, maybe a better school with better teachers or an additional set of friends?

Why we don’t like change

Many, rather all of the above, sound like we did not want them to happen or ask for them or consciously do anything to bring them on. Of course, we face them and eventually accept them, but it’s unquestionably difficult for us.

We suffer this hardship because we aren’t prepared to alter our comfortable reality. As human beings, we are conditioned by habit. We get used to things. We don’t like adjusting to new environments, accepting different teachers, friends, neighbours; or even newer grocery vendors and security guards!

Why our brain doesn’t like change

At a neuroscientific level, our comfort zone is nothing but our brain’s desire for precision and clarity. When we follow a routine, everything seems simple and sensible. We are averse to uncertainty. And any change brings vagueness, ambiguity and abstraction to our life’s equation. We don’t like complicated math. So, we abhor change. And we want to stick to the status quo. The routine — same food, same old study pattern, old school and same old friends.

Can we change the way we react to change?

Ordinarily we procrastinate on change. And save it for another day. Of course, we want to organize studies, manage time, make friends, excel at sport, eat healthy and be better human beings. Statistically, most people wait for the dawn of the New Year to pledge to improve themselves in some way. They use the time to promise themselves that they will adapt, assimilate and accommodate to people, situations and their own body and mind. Rightfully so, changing ourselves is key to accepting new environments and all the novelty they bring.

“We need to change how we see change!”

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“Good resolutions are like babies crying in church. They should be carried out immediately.”
— Charles M. Sheldon

Life’s beautiful, always demanding a change. A change for the better. Year after year, many of us make many promises to ourselves but seldom do we look back and see how much we achieved. I am sure most of us even forget about them within a month. The New Year is an opportunity to refocus on aspects in our lives that need a little extra attention. If you haven’t started working on your resolutions as yet, you had better start now as time waits for none. Here are some tips that can help you keep up with your resolutions.

At the present time, resolutions seem to focus more around weight loss, diets and materialistic goals than those related to happier and healthier living, both within and outside. A resolution is nothing but a commitment to our own self. It brings discipline to our life: self-discipline. How helpful is being self-disciplined? It is a difficult task but not as difficult as we think it to be. It’s just moulding ourselves to a new situation and adapting as fast as we can to the new environment.

Don’t let your resolutions fizzle out like soda and be back on the same old routine. Why make a resolution at all when we actually cannot abide by it? Make only those resolutions that are realistically applicable to you and not what others want of you. What does that mean? It means, only you can be the judge of whether the goals you set are realistic enough for yourself — you just have to be honest.

Honesty pays towards the end. Being disciplined and honest with yourself will help you achieve things your way. Sometimes, you need to be brutally honest with yourself in order to achieve your goal, no matter how hard you have to work for it. This year, instead of feeling sad that you failed at achieving the resolutions you made last year — look at the New Year as a new opportunity to improve your life, clear out the cobwebs and get rid of all that holds you back from achieving what you want in life. Delete all negativity and look at the positive side of life.

Resolutions are best kept for self-change and self-change gets realized once you see that what you did in the year gone by did not benefit you. Re-check what went wrong, make a resolution and start anew.

Making your resolutions following these guidelines will actually begin to make you feel happier from within and boost your self-confidence to achieve higher goals in life.

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I am a little careless in studies and lazy. I waste my time either on the phone or watching television, with my mindset that I will start learning the next day for sure but never succeed. Hence in this New Year I take a resolution to use my time to the fullest and avoid being lazy. I will wake up early during holidays, reduce my addiction to phone. I will meditate for maintaining peace of mind so that I can study well. I will maintain proper schedule and follow it. I will make sure that I stay away from any sort of distractions. My resolution will be ideal this year and I am sure that I will do better this year and achieve my goal.
Tanisha Khanna (14)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar

My New Year resolution will be to spend more time with my parents. Like nowadays students hardly get time because they’re too involved into projects, assignments, record works and finally social media. I’m one such victim of that. So I recommend all you guys to spend more quality time with your loved ones than just involving yourself in texting and forgetting to love those special persons who wait eagerly to get your attention and love!
Milan Patel
Saranathan College of Engineering, Tiruchirappalli

For 2018 I have decided not to over-think and not to be too freaked out. To implement this I will exercise self-control and also I will try keeping check on my thoughts. If required I will seek help from friends and family around to check me whenever I break my resolution. I will remind myself how these bad habits of mine have landed me into a mess.
Arohi Pandey (19)
Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi

Everyone has exciting New Year resolutions. Some are able to implement it but most of us show their interest initially and in the long run forget their target. It’s true that I belong to the second category. But this time I’ll make sure that I stay dedicated. I have chosen to “stay fit” as my New Year resolution. Staying fit and exercising regularly will keep me healthy throughout the year. To implement this resolution I have set a time-table which also includes “punishment” for not following routine.
Divyakriti Masaun
Jhansi

My resolution before the sunrise of 2018 is: first and foremost, to be an early riser. The year 2017 has taught me that one cannot attain his dreams by being a heavy sleeper. Second is being dedicated towards study and putting in hard work for board exams as well as the further studies. Third is to develop a passion for reading books because I want to imbibe knowledge. I want to read more and more. Last and the most important is to be optimistic and believe, “Yes I can do it.”
Arshpreet Kaur (15)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar

When we think about resolution we try to leave our bad habits and find good ones. Probably every teenager makes resolution and only 10% of them implement it. My resolution for 2018 is ‘to ignore my phone’ as I’m a mobile addict. I’ll use it only once or max twice a day. For today’s generation such resolutions are a must. Just taking a resolution isn’t enough you should implement it and to implement it, begin it now rather than waiting for New Year. If you dump your resolutions, someday they’ll dump you.
Sejal Shingne (15)
Fatima Convent School, Achalpur

My first resolution would be to stop procrastinating which is the biggest barrier that keeps most people from reaching their goals. In order to get good marks in my next year’s most important board exams, I will try to improve my concentration, self-confidence and mental skills by various methods like meditating. I will try to be more efficient in my time management and give more time for my parents and grandparents and I hope that I will be courageous enough to keep up with my New Year resolutions.
Ananya Srivastava (15)
Jeevan Marg Sophia Secondary School, Deoria

My New Year resolution is to make myself a better swimmer, so that I can get selected for the next Junior Age Group Asian Championship. I will keep myself fit and sacrifice various things which I feel I should not do. I have made up my mind to be strict with myself and be disciplined in everything. I hope these decisions will help me for my swimming career in the year 2018 and make it one of my most successful years.
Ananya Pandey (13)
Mary Immaculate Girls High School, Mumbai

My new year’s resolution is to be a cheerful girl with a positive attitude. I will face any situation bad or worse with an optimistic approach. I will be giving board exams this year so I know that I need to be prepared to have confidence. I will not be nervous and will give my best in the exams and will keep a positive attitude. I will also inspire my friends and classmates, to be cheerful and to keep a positive attitude always.
Jessica Pereira (15)
St Anne’s High School, Pune

My resolution for the year 2018 will be to be more organized. Specific examples that come up in my quick survey include: reading the chapter before the lecture, writing up clear notes after each and every lecture, organizing and labelling class notes, and creating and sticking to revision schedule before exams. I will implement this resolution of mine by using a positive attitude highlighting the benefits rather than focusing on the negative incidents of not doing as expected. I will find new ways to keep up my resolution every month so that I don’t get bored and make sure that I keep up my practices. After achieving my resolutions, I will celebrate it.
Manviya Sahni (13)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar

The New Year is a perfect opportunity for all those who have failed to start making the changes that they said they would make at the beginning of the previous New Year. This year I’m well determined about my New Year resolution to improve my concentration and mental skills. To implement it I will focus on one change at a time. Also I will use positive language rather than negative when thinking about and implementing my resolution and review my progress periodically. And I will always remember to celebrate my success.
Adwitiya Singh (12)
St Anthony’s Jr. College, Agra

My New Year resolution is to live healthier, happier and strong. I am going to start yoga practice and meditations every morning. Through this I am going to make my body flexible and healthy. I will choose healthy meals rather than fast food. I’m also going to add a 30-minute walk to my routine. I’m going to implement my resolution by making a chart of my progress and I will review my progress. I am going to celebrate my progress with my loved ones because this will give a boost to my resolution. “Although it is tough it is not impossible.”
Sashank (14)
Abacus Montessori School, Chennai

New Year generally begins with making resolutions. This makes us a better version of ourselves than what we were in the last year. This year I have decided to be better by following some simple rules like being respectful to elders and doing things with passion. I love making new things and experimenting new ideas with dedication and care. The message I am trying to convey is that follow your passion with all your heart. Studying is important; at the same time the things we like in life are also as important as studying.
Domnique Joe (13)
Montfort School, New Delhi

To be sincere and true to myself and be focused on my studies is all what I want to accomplish in 2018. I know keeping New Year resolution requires self-control, energy and strong determination. We make many goals in our head that we end up forgetting, so I will “ink it; don’t just think it”. By recording my goal I’ll make a conscious commitment that this is what I want to achieve. Once I have penned down my goal, I’ll put it in places that can easily be seen, like in front of mirror, fridge, or hang it on the wall. This will remind me of my resolution and help me accomplish it.
Tanu Sharma (14)
St Joseph’s Convent, Jethuli, Patna

We are going to step into the New Year 2018, leaving 2017 behind and forgetting whatever bad happened. My New Year resolution is to take steps to prevent pollution and bring out a Green India. Pollution was the main problem we faced this year. To successfully implement my resolution, first of all I will plant a tree on the birthday of all my family members and urge my friends to do the same. I will also celebrate Van Mahotsav to save trees and to spread awareness about the negative effects of deforestation. I will forward this message of ‘Save Trees’ to everyone I know.
Anahit Sandhu (13)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar

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You can fly without ‘wings’, proves Jessica Cox, who became the first pilot with no arms. Jessica suffered a rare birth defect and was born without arms, though prenatal tests showed there was nothing wrong with her. Though she was born with this rare congenital disease, she had a great spirit. She has succeeded in becoming a psychology graduate, and can write, drive a car, brush her hair, talk on her phone, and type 25 words a minute, all only using her feet! Jessica, from Arizona, USA, is also a former dancer and double black belt in Taekwondo, and has a no-restrictions driving license. She took three years instead of the usual six months to complete her lightweight aircraft license, and practised 89 hours of flying, becoming the first pilot with no arms.

We have several personalities in history who accomplished great feats in life in spite of their physical limitations and unfavourable social and economic conditions. Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, recall the battles you have won and fears overcome. Your march towards achieving your destiny will require willpower, sacrifice and dedication. It might even hurt you while you make persistent progress in achieving your goal, but you will find it worth the trouble. Helen Keller has rightly said, “The struggle of life is one of our greatest blessings. It makes us patient, sensitive, and Godlike. It teaches us that although the world is full of sufferings, it is also full of overcoming it”.

Everyone faces problems and challenges in life; they are not stop signs, but guidelines. What matters is how you learn to overcome them and use them to your advantage. Associate with people who will inspire you, people who will challenge you to rise higher, people who will empower you. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think and loved more than you are aware; so be confident, whatever your New Year resolution you can achieve it.

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On 1st January 2018, at least half of us will wake up late with a hangover of the previous night’s celebrations. Perhaps some of us will post photographs of the party on the various social media platforms, and profess publicly our resolutions for the New Year to our friends and family.

Each year we kick-off our New Year’s resolutions with much ardour, but somewhere within a couple of weeks or months, we lose sight of our goals, and resume our old ways.

So where are we going wrong? While we hope to achieve our goals and devise plans that could help us achieve our goals, we never explain “HOW” we could achieve those goals?

Achieving your goals is not only about having the will-power. It is also about developing the right skills, executing the right strategies, and having the patience that inevitably leads to success.

Like the wise Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Let’s learn to take small steps in the right direction.

Simple techniques that throw some light on “HOW” we could achieve our New Year goals.

1. Make a list

Begin with making a simple list of not more than 3 resolutions that you want to achieve — one of them being the “Primary Resolution” to achieve and the others being the “Secondary” ones. Making such a distinction doesn’t mean that your other goals are less important, but it only makes you focus on one thing at a time, and give it your best.

Other aspects to take note of are:

• Do not make too many resolutions. Make a list of top 3 resolutions.
• Taking genuine stock of whether your goals are realistic and achievable, within a realistic timeframe.
• Write your goals in your diary and on a calendar for you to read each day.
• Define a time period within which you would achieve each of your resolutions.
• Regularly mark your progress.

2. Use a calendar

Using a calendar is a simple way to help you track all the progress you made towards achieving your goals.

You can use the calendar to benefit you in the following ways:

• After you have marked a timeframe within which you have decided to achieve your resolutions, put that timeframe on the calendar.
• Each day if you have kept the habit/behaviour change that you had promised yourself in the beginning of the year towards achieving your goal, put a ‘tick’ on the calendar, e.g., you have promised yourself to study chemistry for an hour everyday because you want to get better at it. If you have kept your promise to study for an hour in the day, then you put a ‘tick’ on the calendar for the day that you have. Seeing the many ticks or crosses on the calendar serves as a visual reminder that will motivate you towards achieving your resolutions.

3. Forming habits

‘Old habits and routines die hard’, say old myths. But research says that it takes about 21 days to develop a simple new habit. And the period could vary for difficult habits/behaviours to form or change. E.g., If you wish to cut down on your TV watching habits, it could take you relatively 21 days or slightly more to change your habit. If you have been a compulsive TV watcher, it could take you slightly longer.

The key to achieving New Year resolutions is when you try to make these resolutions your habit. Some simple ways you could achieve this:

• If you have decided to be more fit this year, choose a time of the day that you could dedicate solely towards exercising. If you decide to go for walks at 5 pm every day, set an alarm an hour before 5 pm to notify you and get you to prepare yourself to gear up for your evening walks.
• If you choose to eat healthy each day, write down the list of food items that you ate each day. This will help you keep track of your food palate, and help you form healthy eating habits.
• Once the habits are formed, achieving a resolution becomes easier.

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