2021 was one hell of a year (hell being the keyword in that sentence), a year that I, like many others, are beyond delighted to see the back of. 2021 was arguably horrendous, beginning to end, as the year started off with the Washington riots, moving into the devastating wildfires, Covid spikes, lockdowns and restrictions, the Israel and Palestine conflict, and ending with the heart breaking death of icon, Betty White. Not to mention the trials and tribulations that each individual person faced on top of these global worries. 2021 was a year of struggles, small victories, and growth for most people, myself included. And so, as I step into the new year of 2022, I am wondering what this year has in store and if I should consider taking on any resolutions; and I have decided, no way.
No, I will not be making any resolutions for this upcoming year. I will not be joining a gym, I will not be putting myself on a strict diet, I will not be giving anything up, or devoting my few spare hours to volunteering. I do not see the point in making false promises to myself that I will have broken by February. I do not have the funds nor the patience to devote myself to a strict regime of working out and eating nothing but protein and vegetables. I am a 20-year-old woman, in my 2nd year at law school. I have bills, stress, responsibilities, and very little spare time. I stay healthy and help the people around me and my community as much as I possibly can. I deserve to enjoy and sleep in on my one day off a month, so I will not be by forcing myself into a new routine of unhappiness.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not against new year’s resolutions, they can give people a second chance, a clean slate; but at this point in my life, I am happy in myself and enjoy my life. I indulge myself in my favourite foods, exercise when I choose, surround myself with good people, and occasionally treat myself to a small purchase. These things make me happy, so why would I want to change this? A person should do what makes them happy, so, when possible, go out and enjoy yourself this year, have that drink, watch that show, treat yourself to those shoes you fell in love with. For me, life is too short to be practical and anything less than happy.
I, like most people my age, have already lost out on the normal milestones that come with the late teens, early 20s; I have missed my debs, my graduation, my first year of college, the chance at a RAG week, and so much more. We only have one chance at our young life, and the beginning of that new independent life has been stolen by a pandemic and a multitude of tragedies. We have missed so much already that we can never get back. You and I both are only getting older, there is no stopping it, and I think that we must experience life without the expectations and restrictions of resolutions; we have enough restrictions as is. I only have one thing to say in response to the phrase, ‘New year New me,’ a simple no thank-you, I am good enough already and will only get better through 2022.
