New Year’s Resolution

There’s a few more minutes of the first day of the new year and I wanted to take time to share my thoughts on 2016 and what I think about New Year’s Resolutions.

TL : DR New Year’s Resolutions are pointless.

Now before you crucify me in a maelstrom of internet vitriol, let me explain myself.

Since the age of 13 (the year I was a “teen” or half-adult), I felt an obligation to myself and to my independence to take more control, more initiative over my life. So as soon as the ball dropped and the holiday festivities were over, I’d wake up on January 1st, bright-eyed and open up a special leather notebook. I never used this notebook for anything else. In this notebook, I wrote down all the aspirations I wanted, which looking back were quite ambitious.

Much of the writing has since been lost but I remember writing things like: run a mile each day, read a book a week or be more social (I was really shy and self-conscious). And each year, inevitably, I would bust my balls the first week sticking to these goals. As years gone by, I slowly increased the stakes and set my bar higher and higher. In 2013–14, along with my other typical goals of eating right and exercising, I set my sights on going to ISEF.

So to give you some context, I did a LOT of science research in high school and almost annually, I went to the local science fair. As far as I knew, I was doing a great job perpetuating the asian stereotype but that was all I knew how to do then. ISEF is basically the king of all science fairs — it’s an annual international science fair bringing the best and brightest teens from all corners of the world to Pittsburgh and basically geeking out.

Every year, the local place sent 1–2 teams/projects out of 500+, so do the math — it was hard to win a spot to ISEF. But I had a goal and I would stop at nothing to get there. I didn’t know where to start or how, but I just did. Long story short, my partner Marcus and I, were selected to represent Minnesota at ISEF and I achieved the goal I had set.

Now what I’m trying to say is that to me, ISEF was a goal, nothing more and nothing less. It could have been anything: i.e. winning the state championship in soccer, learning how to sing or volunteering weekly at the local animal shelter. Whatever — it is arbitrary. But that goal, once set, became my sole focus for that year and I really began to live and breathe it. There are two things I came away from this experience learning. Well really 3.

1. I loved the research process but didn’t think it was something I could do as a career.
2. Writing out goals physically makes it more real. However, to make it come alive, I needed to work my ass off and not take it for granted.
3. Don’t wait until the New Year to make goals.

Let me repeat that. DON’T THINK THAT THE ONLY TIME YOU CAN IMPROVE YOURSELF IS ON JANUARY 1ST.

You’re better than that. Give yourself more credit. I think everyone in the world is capable of achieving whatever they set their minds to. But don’t wait. Mentally, it might be easy to convince yourself January 1st is a clean slate and that you can make changes. I think for some people, this is a good place to start. But don’t rely on it.

My philosophy on life is to use every opportunity available to become a better version of yourself and continually work and chip at your faults until you get where you want to be. Make it so that you don’t set new year’s resolutions anymore because everyday is a new day. And every hour is a new hour. There is no better time to start than now.

So what are you waiting for?