A long list of New Year's Resolutions being written in a notebook

Lily Portch

As the new year rolls around, suddenly everyone seems to be trying to overhaul their lives.

Gyms are packed, planners are sold out, and social media feeds are crammed with lofty promises of change. “New year, new me”, they say. But how often does the shine of January wear off by February, leaving us back where we started—except now we feel like failures?

As a 20-year-old navigating the pressure to constantly “improve” myself, I can’t help but wonder: are New Year’s resolutions really about positive change, or are they just another way to glorify toxic productivity?

The Novelty of the New Year

If I’m being honest, it’s exhausting. The idea that a single calendar flip means we need to completely reinvent ourselves feels overwhelming and, honestly, a tad unfair.

After all, January is right in the middle of winter. It’s cold, it’s dark, and many of us are still recovering from the chaos of the holidays, financially and mentally. It’s not exactly the most inspiring time to start waking up at 5 a.m. or training for a marathon. And yet, we’re told this is the perfect moment to transform ourselves—to hustle harder, do more, and be better.

Resolutions or obligations?

It’s easy to see how this mindset feeds into toxic productivity, the idea that our worth is tied to how much we achieve. Resolutions often feel like a never-ending to-do list, but instead of being tasks we want to accomplish, they become expectations we feel obliged to meet.

“Let’s be gentler with ourselves”

Suddenly, working out isn’t about feeling strong or healthy—it’s about burning calories to ‘fix’ our bodies. Should we even be allowing ourselves to suggest we need ‘fixing’?  Learning a new skill stops being about curiosity or passion and becomes about making ourselves more marketable. Even self-care can feel like another checkbox on the productivity agenda.

Where’s the joy in that?

The Social Pressures Behind New Year’s Resolutions

This obsession with constant improvement can be harmful, especially for young women like me who are already bombarded with societal pressures to be perfect. Social media only makes it worse.

“So many resolutions are rooted in unrealistic expectations”

Every January, Instagram is flooded with influencers sharing their vision boards and goal-setting tips. They make it look so effortless—as if achieving your “best year yet” is as simple as buying the right planner or drinking a daily green smoothie.

But what they don’t show are the moments of burnout, the skipped workouts, or the nights spent crying because you’re trying so hard to keep up.

I wouldn’t say that all resolutions are inherently bad. In fact, they can be an amazing way to reflect on what matters to you and set intentions for the year ahead. The problem is that so many resolutions are rooted in unrealistic expectations. Instead of focusing on small, meaningful changes, we’re encouraged to chase these huge, dramatic transformations. It’s no wonder so many of us give up on our goals by the time February rolls around—we’ve set ourselves up to fail.

A Change of Mindset

It is my belief that in order to make any ‘resolutions’ actually work, we need to shift our mindset. These goals shouldn’t be about fixing what we think is wrong with us. They should be about celebrating who we are and making choices that bring us closer to the life we want to live.

“Focus on intentions instead of resolutions”

 That might mean setting smaller, more realistic goals that aren’t solely revolved around the societal ideals of productivity, but unique to each person. For example, I am hoping to allow myself more time for what I love, which is reading.

It might mean prioritising rest instead of productivity, or saying no to things that drain your energy. And it definitely means being kinder to ourselves when we mess up, we are only human.

I’ve decided to focus on intentions instead of resolutions. For me, intentions feel less rigid and more forgiving. They’re about how I want to feel, not just what I want to do. For example, aiming to move my body in ways that feel good, rather than work out every single day and go on a strict diet. That way, I’m not punishing myself if I miss a workout—I’m just trying to stay in tune with what my body needs.

Resolutions Aren’t Just For New Year’s

Another thing I’ve realised is that you don’t have to wait until January 1st to make a change. Resolutions can happen any time of year.

“Change doesn’t have to be tied to the calendar”

If winter isn’t your season, that’s okay. Maybe spring, with its longer days and fresh energy, will feel like a better time to start something new. Or maybe you’ll wake up one random Tuesday in July and decide you’re ready to try something different. The point is, change doesn’t have to be tied to the calendar. It’s a personal journey, not a race against time.

Ultimately, resolutions and goals are all about how we approach them. If they inspire you to make positive changes and take care of yourself, that’s amazing. But if they leave you feeling stressed, inadequate, or burned out, it’s okay to let them go. You don’t need a list of goals to prove your worth. You are enough, just as you are.

So this year, let’s do things differently. Let’s be gentler with ourselves. Let’s embrace progress over perfection and remember that it’s okay to take things slow. Because real growth doesn’t come from punishing ourselves for not being ‘good enough’. It comes from loving ourselves enough to try.

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Featured image courtesy of Glenn Carstens-Peters via Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.

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