New Year, New Beginnings: The Connection Between Resolutions and Hope
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The hot topic at this time of year is New Year's resolutions. In the last four days alone, I've received several emails and read numerous blogs on the subject. Friends, family, and clients have asked me about my resolutions for 2024.
So, what's the fascination with making resolutions as we welcome the New Year? Some may say it's all about tradition, while others speculate it's due to societal pressure. I tend to believe it's more about reflection and hope.
During December, we celebrate holidays like Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year's Eve, which happen once a year. This annual rhythm provides a clear and distinct timeframe for comparison.
Think about your own holiday traditions and rituals. Whether it's decorating a Christmas tree, lighting the menorah, or attending a holiday party, these familiar customs can evoke a sense of nostalgia and reflection.
Holiday gatherings often involve family and friends we don’t see frequently throughout the year, so there’s lots of opportunity for shared reminiscences, storytelling, and discussions about past holiday experiences.
And the end of December is also the end of the calendar year, which is a major milestone. Calendar years provide a structured and universally recognized framework for organizing time. We remember historical events, cultural milestones, and the arts in terms of years, such as eras or decades. Year-end retrospectives are commonplace in music, business, and our personal lives.
December provides lots of opportunities for reflection! But what about hope?
Hope is a fundamental human emotion that drives us forward. It's optimism and belief in the possibility of a brighter future that keeps us going.
The concept of a "fresh start" is a powerful psychological motivator. The beginning of a New Year symbolizes a clean slate, a chance to leave behind any regrets, disappointments, or mistakes from the past.
As humans, we have a natural inclination to seek renewal and improvement, and the New Year provides an ideal moment for this. There's a sense of anticipation and optimism about what lies ahead.
I believe we all find a degree of comfort in the idea that we can make the coming year better than the last.
So, back to resolutions. I prefer to set intentions. For me, resolutions feel rigid and time-constrained. Intentions, on the other hand, feel flexible, mindset-oriented and timeless.
My intentions for 2024 are to spend more time in nature (because I genuinely like being outdoors and enjoying the beauty of the sky, trees, and plants) and to pay closer attention to small moments of joy around me and the goodness in others.
Lucky for me, I got to experience the goodness of others just this morning.
Yesterday, I ran several errands, including grocery shopping in the late afternoon. After finishing up my chores for the day, I reached for my reading glasses to relax with a book, only to find them missing. I searched the usual places in my house and retraced my steps mentally. The last time I remembered seeing my glasses was in their case on the small rack next to the handle of the shopping cart at the grocery store. Uh oh.
First thing this morning, I headed to the grocery store and checked with their lost and found. To my relief, my glasses were waiting for me. Some kind stranger found them and turned them in. I thanked the lady who was helping me at the lost and found and remarked how much I appreciated my glasses had been turned in. She shared that they had also received cash found in the parking lot the previous day, with the finder stating, "Someone needs this and is going to be looking for it."
I started my day fueled with the warmth of human kindness.
Please share your thoughts on this topic in the comment section below.
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About Lynda-Ross
Lynda-Ross Vega is a partner at Vega Behavioral Consulting, Ltd. She specializes in helping corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, and individuals with interpersonal communications, team dynamics, personal development, and navigating change. Lynda-Ross is co-creator of Perceptual Style Theory, a revolutionary behavioral psychology theory and assessment system that teaches people how to unleash their natural strengths and build the life and career they dream of.
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