The New Year’s Resolution

…is it still relevant?

By Apolinario Villalobos

When I was young, the tradition of coming up with a list of promises that constitute the New Year’s resolution was not observed in our family. While growing up, it has become part of my consciousness because of my changing environment. My teachers in elementary and high school would ask us about our New Year’s resolution, as some kind of a theme requirement. I would then list down magnificently-sounding promises, complete with reasons why I made them. My objective was to get a good mark, which I did. I even remember working on the New Year’s resolution of my classmate in exchange for a new pad of intermediate paper, and as expected he got a good mark, too.

Today, coming up with a list of promises is still being done by others. They cannot be blamed because, such practice has become synonymous with the onset of New Year. It is actually part of the packaged season of Yule that includes Christmas. But, is it still relevant?

In my experience, nothing of my listed promises was ever fulfilled. In the past, sometimes I even forgot that I made one. It made me ponder why I should go on coming up with a list of promises that I can never fulfil. Also, I do not want to justify my act with another adage that says, promises are made to be broken. As I do not want to feel guilty, I have finally decided to just live by the day, although with set goals that could prod me on.

My observation is that, coming up with a New Year’s resolution, is like wishing to shed off unwanted fat, but still go on a fast food binge after workouts. A health expert came up with the word “moderate”, meaning, there is nothing wrong with going to a fast food joint after a couple of hour’s work- out but moderation must be observed.

Applying the “moderation” to the undying fad of coming up with New Year’s resolution, it could mean, being “realistic” in coming up with a list of promises. Most of us forgot that the list is some kind of a reminder to guide us in our daily life. So, with that, it may not be irrelevant after all.

But we should not wait for the onset of the New Year to be reminded of what we are supposed to do to improve our life. And most especially, we should not come up with a list that pertains to the life of others in our effort to copy their personality as others are inclined to do. Let us be ourselves…not like somebody else.