By: Asma Shams
This year marks the year of the Dragon according to Chinese mythology. The Dragon is powerful; full of energy and focused on goals while being a leader. The dragon is known to be aware of who they are and are known to be strong, independent, and ambitious. Although many people don’t believe in other mythologies, they begin the year with hope that changes will come and create resolutions to be a better version of themselves.
The concept of a new year’s resolution is universal and people from all cultures have similar goals for the new year aimed towards being better versions of themselves. Collectively, we aim for success by applying for better jobs, start new careers, enroll in school. We also focus on financial goals such as saving for a new house, a prized item, or grow our accounts. Health goals are popular as well with most of aiming to be regulars at our local gym, loose or gain weight, or have a personal health goal in mind. However, the goals typically remain the same with majority of people unable to complete their goals creating a veil of disappointment towards new years resolution. There are benefits to having hope towards a new beginning and setting goals regardless of if we meet them or not and we should make them regardless.
Reflect
To make your new years resolution stick, we must reflect on the past year. The key to success is to make sure you have the right plan and mindset. It’s the perfect opportunity to reflect on the past year with all the things that went right and the failures you encountered which are lessons in disguise. It’s also a good opportunity to reflect on how you wanted the year to begin and how it ended – which resolutions were accomplished, and which are pushed to the new year and the changes that you can make to meet them.
Focus
Many of us make a long list of resolutions and set unrealistic goals.
By making our resolution streamlined and focused on one or two major goals, we can achieve them within the year. A big reason for resolutions to fail is we follow the general idea or concept of what society, and our community expects us to. Many of us have the same goals of saving money and loosing weight. Having goals that are meaningful and focused on our interests, hobbies, and life are more likely to success as you can engage with the process and feel a personal connection to the outcome.
Make a Plan
Once you have your major goal, it should be broken down into smaller achievable tasks. Distribute the big goal into smaller goals and have reminders and checkins with yourself. It would be unrealistic to go from a sedentary lifestyle to going to the gym six days in a r
ow. Having achievable smaller goals such as – go for two neighbourhood walks for the first week of January is an achievable goal.
Following a schedule and plan for the month, quarter, and then the year will allow you to be successful and feel motivation.
Email: asmashums@gmail.com
Just Chill
• At the beginning of the year, I made a resolution to lose 15 pounds. Only 20 more to go!
• A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.
Sunday, April 19, 2026
