Are New Year Resolutions A Scam?

Here’s my take on the subject

Photo by Fabien Bazanegue on Unsplash

We’re getting to that time of the year again when everyone tries to turn a new leaf. I don’t know if it’s the pressure with the change in the year’s number or because other people are doing it, but it’s really annoying.

For me, January is the month you see a lot of people at the gym. You barely have space to do your workouts because everyone’s led by their resolutions to become a new version of themselves.

But the irony of it all is, after a couple of weeks, the gym starts emptying out, and only the familiar faces at the gym remain.

You can liken this to other aspects of people’s lives. They try to start writing more, learning a new skill, and doing something fresh because it’s a new year, but I don’t buy into this because, really, not everyone follows up.

The reason is you’re pushed by an external force — the new year — and not anything personal.

Most people do so because new year resolutions are a social norm, so it’s necessary to participate in this practice to keep up with the times.

But according to motivation theory, you have intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

Intrinsic is internal, extrinsic are external. And the internal motivations are more powerful because they’re caused by you. You’re the motivator, not some social norm.

If the new year is the reason you want to change, you won’t do it for long, simply because it’s an external cause. Although there are several exceptions to this, but this is more common.

So, if you’re waiting for a new year, new age, or anything outside yourself to do something, you’re only procrastinating.