Why New Year’s Resolutions Can Be a Bad Idea

It’s pretty human to use significant days as “turning points” – and that is all well and good for some people.  For others, however, using these days for a supposed total change in lifestyle can be problematic.  I think this can be particularly true for people in recovery. Why? Because many of us have absurd expectations. Combine that with an all-or-nothing kind of personality, and you have a recipe for repeated failure. 

I don’t think there is anything wrong with creating a goal that you start to work on at a certain date, but frankly, I think the best day to pick is today and only today.  Today I will…

This helps me avoid the deal making and the  post-poning.  If I decide in early December that I’m going to “start a diet” on New Year’s Day, that means I’ll eat ridiculously badly until that day.  Why not say, I’m going to eat healthy today?  That doesn’t mean I’ll be perfect every day until New Year’s Day – but it sure means I likely won’t be as cavalier until the phony deadline.

The problem with creating resolutions based on a specific day, be it New Year’s or a birthday or anniversary, is that it takes you out of the immediacy of the day, and as people in recovery it is so important to count today first and remember everything else comes later.

This just means that if there’s something I want to do or change about my life, I start today – maybe just a little step like adding five minutes to my walk or not skipping breakfast.

Rather than look to make a long (usually intimidating) list for New Year’s, what can you do today to move toward the goals you want to achieve?