New Year, New You

I've seen a lot of people poopooing the 'New Year, New Me' mantra this year, and I'm not really sure why. 

I want to believe it's because, in some self-righteous way, they're trying to demonstrate the very wise fact that, actually, 'new day, new you' - even, 'new minute, new you' - because, yes, humans should not change just because December has turned into January and the year is now different. We have the power to change every single day of our lives, and every single minute or second within that: I could make a life altering decision on February 3rd at 14:48pm (watch this space...).

But I don't really believe it's wholly to do with wisdom and this profound realisation about life and their own agency. Mostly because half the people I see grumbling about boycotting 'New Year, New Me' are people who are continuing to have sod-all awareness of how to take control of their life in a positive way. 

Instead I see people demeaning the notion of a (unified) fresh start, simply to give them some sought after justification to stay as the same person - and, according to many facebook memes, this will be as the same 'asshole' as the previous year*.

And these memes are, admittedly, using dark humour, but they're also ultimately just plain negative - about others but about ourselves. 

These memes speak volumes to me and can teach me a lot about the people sharing them. People who don't want to change, and judge you for wanting to change (what, you think you're perfect?). People who don't believe in themselves enough to change and therefore hide behind dark humour and self-deprecation. People who don't believe in you enough to believe you can change. People resisting help and advice. People who just want to justify being an 'asshole'. 

Don't get me wrong, there are some people out there who rock the "new year, same me" attitude, because they got it so right the year before. But 'new year, same me' isn't a damning statement - it's neither positive nor negative. No 'assholes' here. This isn't setting anyone up to fail, or be a wang. 

What I don't like about this surge of negativity at this time of year, is that other people genuinely want to try and change for the better and to introduce positivity into their lives. 

Life is hard enough to live at the best of times - why do people want to put others down and add to the shit we have to wade through? Grow up. 

Who cares that people have decided to change from the beginning of a new year? Is it because it's a unified effort that annoys people? The only downside I see to this is a sudden busyness at the gym. 
It can massively help to set and achieve goals by having clear goalposts in mind: working from the 1st - 31st of something is an obvious and clear cut way of keeping track of your progress. It is a clearly delineated chapter, much as 'a year' is, or 'a month' or 'a week'. 

Lent will run from Wednesday 26th February - Thursday 9th April this year, and Christians all over the world will abstain from something for that duration. Should we bitch at them? Or is it better because they have the decency not to do it from January 1st? 

People choose to change with the New Year - and share their 'resolutions' - because it is actually healthy to have goals, and it's a good productive push to have made yourself accountable to something or someone. Some people won't publicly share their resolutions and goals (and I'm hesitant to just refer to them as 'resolutions' because of the connotation of breaking them), but they have set them for themselves and that is no bad thing. 

It may not be a case of being a twat in 2019 and trying to be an angel in 2020 (which is certainly no bad thing either). It may be a case of self-improvement and betterment rather than changing to an entirely 'new me'. 

Perhaps you vaguely went to the gym in 2019 and floated between things, but now you know that you want to focus on fat burning or muscle building. You have a goal. 

Perhaps you gave up takeaways in 2019, but now you want to cook more fresh and healthy food from scratch. You have a goal. 

Maybe you didn't read much in 2019, so you've decided to read at least 6 books this year. You have a goal. 

And these goals are good for your soul! So why do people feel the need to put them down?!

It's fine (if not annoying for me) that you want to continue to be an arsehole this year. It makes no difference to me that you have no want to better yourself, physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually. You are perfectly within your rights to continue just as you are - fuckwittery and all. 

Just don't drag me down with your sinking ship. 




* 
"No 'New Year/New Me' Here - I'll be the same honest asshole at 12:01 that I was at 11:59"
"Almost time for that 'New Year New Me' bullshit" 
"New Year, New Me.... Riiiiiiiiight!"
"Stop trying to make 'New Year, New Me' happen. It's not going to happen"
"New Year New Me? Tell me again how that went for you in 2019"
"No more 'new year, new me' I've just accepted the fact I'm going to be a messy bitch who ruins her life over and over until I die"