OPINION: The New Year is cliché and here’s why

Times+Square+in+New+York+City+on+Jan.+1+of+2000.+Photo+courtesy+of+Creative+Commons.+

Times Square in New York City on Jan. 1 of 2000. Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

Alex Glaspie, Staff Writer

With Christmas comes the New Year, and with the New Year comes a million Instagram and Twitter posts captioned, “New Year, New Me.” Suburban mothers flood onto Facebook to speak on how they plan on being better mothers to their already spoiled children.

Now here’s the thing, I don’t have a problem with the New Year. Even I appreciate yelling at the top of my lungs, “Happy New Year!” at my uncle’s house while all the married couples kiss to ring in January and their children, including me, groan in disgust. However, I strongly believe that the celebration is extremely overdone.

I can’t wait to host parties when I get older, watch the ball drop with my friends and drink a toast to celebrate the new year. Everyone wants to party on New Year’s and make resolutions, but is it really worth it?

To be completely honest, any New Year resolution I try to accomplish ends up getting shoved under a rug about a week into January, the most popular being the resolution to eat healthier, work out more and become a healthier version of myself.

Although I’ve seen resolutions come true and people start to become who they sought to be in their lives, it’s never worked out for me. Not only can I never accomplish anything I set out to during New Years, but I end up feeling worse after I can’t finish what I started.

This debacle that I get myself into every year makes for a terrible start to the year, and I always feel bad about myself after it’s over.

This might be a “too much information” moment, but every year, I end up crying myself to sleep because, according to myself, I will never be happier and kinder than I already am. I definitely look down on myself for this, because I shouldn’t spend time being mad at myself for not becoming who I want to be. Instead, I should continue to try to accomplish my goals.

In order to help myself feel better after that glittery ball drops to zero, I refuse to make any New Year’s resolutions for the sole fact that they are foolish. I bet I’m not the only one who thinks this, either.

However, I’m not here to discourage those who make New Year’s resolutions. If you do, go for it! I believe in you wholeheartedly, whether your resolution is to get better grades, to lose weight, to donate to charity more or to become more friendly to people.

Becoming a better person is something that everyone should strive to be, but dedicating a holiday towards bettering yourself is not efficient enough. Instead of making a massive resolution once a year, try to make more meaningful ones as the year goes on. Make resolutions every month, strive to be a more open, forgiving and kind soul on a regular basis, and trust me, you won’t regret it.