Mathematically proving that this year it really is a ‘New Me’
Ah, the start of a new year. A time to reflect on the past and make promises for the future. We’ve all been there, setting high expectations for ourselves only to fall short a few weeks later. But why is it that our New Year’s resolutions so often fail? Let’s first dive into the good, the bad, and the ugly of this age-old tradition and then analyze my progress so far.
The Good: Starting Off with a Bang
Something about the fresh start of a new year makes us feel like anything is possible. We make ambitious plans, and for a while, we actually stick to them. Wonder why we do this? The Fresh Start Effect, which refers to the tendency to undertake new challenges when significant milestones pass, may explain why we see such a strong push toward self-improvement at the beginning of each year.
The Bad: The Reality Sets In
But then, a few weeks later, the honeymoon period ends. The excitement wears off, and we’re left with the reality of our day-to-day lives. The gym membership goes unused, the junk food starts calling our name, and our motivation dwindles. Before we know it, our resolutions are a distant memory.
The Ugly: Breaking the Cycle
So, why do we keep repeating this pattern? Well, for starters, our resolutions are often too vague and unrealistic. We tell ourselves we’ll exercise more, but what does that really mean? Another common pitfall is taking on too much too soon. We try to overhaul our lives in one fell swoop, which can be overwhelming and unsustainable. Instead, it’s better to start small and build gradually.
“It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me — Taylor Swift, Anti-Hero.”
Yup, I am one of the 91% of people who fails to keep their resolutions. But this year, I followed all the best practices:
- I kept it specific: ‘Read at least 2 new books a month’ instead of a vague ‘read more.’
- I had a positive outlook: ‘Enjoy the fresh air and social interaction by playing badminton every day’ instead of just ‘get fit.’
- I added a personal touch: I thought, ‘you know how you want to travel to France, maybe relearn French and maintain that Duolingo streak.’ Pretty different from the standard, ‘watching TV to learn a new language’ (this is a recommended method, don’t judge me).
- I kept it short and sweet: I didn’t make a list of 15 resolutions; I had 5. The remaining 2 are to go skydiving (lol) and try out something new (aka my Medium journey).
- I kept it SMART: where possible, my resolutions were specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.
The Measurement: Where do I stand today, 2.74% or 1 month into the year?
I started the new year sick with the flu, and the symptoms didn’t clear until 10th January. So 1.15 % of the year was gone. It’s an excuse but maybe not a good one. So let’s evaluate
- I read one new fictional book — The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, and glanced through an academic data book. I’ll count this as a 75/100.
- I played badminton for 7 days, but I also went on 5 KM walks for 7 days. So 14/31 or 44/100. Note: I didn’t do the math on this; I used ChatGPT, which I recently became taken with.
- I’m proud to say I maintained my Duolingo streak and earned my score of 100/100! I translated many odd sentences, best captured by @BinglesP tweet below:
- Unfortunately, I have not yet gone skydiving, so that’s a 0/100. However, mathematically, it may not be ideal for counting this.
- Last but not least — do something new. Well, I’ve finally started posting on Medium, I have become obsessed with crosswords, I won multiple checkers games without being on the ‘easiest’ level, and I tried a bizarre popcorn cocktail. Did I do new things? Yes! Did I do new things that were a “big deal?” Maybe not. I’ll rate this as 50/100, with at least 45 points coming in for the recent Medium bug. The world is my oyster, and there are bigger, better, newer things I’d like to try this year.
So let’s sum this up.
Counting the skydiving resolution, I am at 269/500 or 53.8%. Not counting skydiving, I am at 269/400 or 67.25%.
I don’t know if I should re-evaluate my expectations, but I’m not even disappointed in the 53.8%. It’s a small win that shows progress. Progress that I often haven’t maintained even a month into the year.
I’m strangely happy at the end of this reflection exercise. Don’t get me wrong, spending too much time looking back instead of looking forward can have a negative effect: instead of taking action, you can become passive and brood over past events. But once in a while, it’s good to re-evaluate where you’re at so you can re-assess your position, get that boost of motivation and plan ahead. My plan now— mathematically reflect on my resolutions in June (the halfway point), September (the OMG, it’s time to get my act together moment), and December (ah well, what’s done is done point).
Tell me about your resolutions and how you feel you’ve progressed!
