The former simply marks the passage of time.
Turning 50? Yes,
it’s a nice round number - half a century, it rolls off the tongue.
But what makes it more special than say, 49 or 51?
You’re a year older - congratulations on staying alive for another year.
Why do we feel the need to celebrate milestones?
Perhaps because we’re acutely aware our time on earth is limited.
Perhaps we’re filled with this innate sense of our own finiteness and reaching a milestone like 50 is in itself an achievement.
I have a similar attitude to celebrating the New Year.
The sun has set on 2022. It rose again in 2023. Here we still are.
To me, it’s just another day on the calendar.
Don’t get me wrong - I love a good celebration but the clock striking midnight doesn’t excite me anymore.
But yes, as our culture demands, saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming the new year requires recognition - perhaps with good reason.
Last year was particularly rough. Just like 2021 was before it, and 2020 before that.
We’re trying to recover economically, emotionally, and physically from a worldwide pandemic.
Folks are exhausted.
So will a New Year resolution help?
It could, but only if you stick with it.
According to US research, of the 41 per cent of Americans who make New Year’s resolutions, only 9 per cent are successful.
Of those who make them, after one week, 75 per cent are still successful in keeping them. The numbers drop off steadily after that.
Making resolutions and announcing them to our peers makes us more accountable. Tell someone and hope they will support you.
Breaking the goal up into smaller increments is less overwhelming and it’s better for us to see results.
These keep us motivated.
To have a higher chance of sticking to your resolution, you could make it fun and involve your friends and family.
Write them down — have something in black and white, in your face, perhaps stuck to the fridge.
And, importantly, celebrate those milestones.
If you’ve made a resolution — good luck and happy New Year.
