I don’t care for New Year’s resolutions.

I think they’re stupid, actually.

More specifically, waiting for January 1 to begin is stupid.

Yes, the New Year has energy, but waiting for January 1 seems silly.

If I know I want to work on my mobility (which I do), why will I wait for January 1 to begin?

Why deny myself something good for me until some time in the future?

I won’t; I’ve already started.

I use a different model for the New Year. I refer to it as my New Year’s Gratitude Reflection.

I put myself into the future, 12.31.25 to be precise, and ask myself,

“What am I grateful I accomplished in 2025?”

Using mobility as an example:

“I am grateful I worked on my mobility 3x a week in 2025.”

Another accomplishment I want to express gratitude for at the end of 2025:

Publishing a kid’s book based on our special needs cats.

This looks like:

“I am grateful I published a kid’s book based on our cats. I am grateful we donated 50% of the proceeds to raise money and awareness for special needs and elderly animals.”

There’s a second component to the reflection:

Taking a moment to reflect on what I’m grateful I accomplished in 2024.

So often, we look forward without taking a moment to realize how far we’ve actually come. The path ahead can be daunting and overwhelming when we only look forward.

Reflecting on accomplishments reduces the overwhelm and reminds us of what we’re capable of.

When I use this model, I don’t want to wait for January 1 to begin; I want to start now – and I do.

The sooner I begin, the more purposeful and meaningful my life becomes.

PS – I also think knowing what works best for you is imperative – resolutions may work for you.

That’s awesome.

But maybe it’s time for a different approach if they never worked.