I love it, but I sincerely hope they never discover low-rise jeans and visible underwear. Blech.
And that’s another funny thing about becoming a real-life adult, at least from my experience. We begin to get a little stuck in our ways and are less swayed by modern trends.
I remember when I was a youngster, I’d wonder why adult women wouldn’t try “awesome” fashion trends like sparkly lip gloss and spiked leather belts. Now, I know. Fashion comes and goes and, as you get older, you find what makes you feel your best and tend to stick a little more to what’s familiar. We now know who we are and don’t feel the need to try out new trends quite as much as a young person still discovering themselves does.
Not that we don’t experiment with modern fashions, of course. But I think we tend to adopt certain “rules” that we don’t gravitate far from, which differ from person to person and generation to generation. I’ve got women in my life who came of age in the 50s and 60s who wouldn’t be seen dead leaving the house without lipstick and a fresh blow-dry, for example. And I’ve got friends my own age who wouldn’t even know how to do their hair without a straightening iron (that’d be me - guilty as charged).
I wonder if this kind of… relaxation into one’s identity is why New Year’s resolutions seem to be more common with the younger folk. We oldies know who we are. We’re pretty familiar with our own strengths and weaknesses, and we don’t need a new year to tell us we’re missing the mark in some aspects of our lives.
But resolutions are one Americanism I think we can all somewhat get on board with. Somewhat.
Now, I don’t think all five million of us should be signing up for the gym on January 1. But the dawn of the New Year is a new beginning of sorts, even if it is an arbitrary one.
It’s one cool thing about having a Christmas break over summer – the New Year genuinely feels like a time to reset and recalibrate, even though in reality it’s just another number on a calendar.
Most of us are in holiday mode. We’re out and about enjoying the sunshine, meeting up with people we haven’t seen in a while, eating food we usually wouldn’t, and probably drinking more than we should.
And then, after a couple of weeks, real life starts back up.
I reckon this period of downtime is a fantastic opportunity to implement real changes in our lives. Building a habit can take many weeks, but it’s those first days that can truly help set us on a new path. And, to that end, here’s what I’m going to work on this year:
- Get outside more. Vitamin D and fresh air can do wonders for your health and happiness.
- Invest more effort into cooking. I’m well-known for being a terrible cook. It’s something I’ve always hated doing and, frankly, have never wanted to improve. Stubborn is as stubborn does, as the old saying goes.
- Fill my downtime more productively. I’m the kind of person that feels good when I achieve something. Anything. Time to read more books, finish some half-done projects and earn that dopamine hit.
- Learn a new skill. I’m committing to either learning a new craft or going back to study. Learning keeps the brain sharp, I say. And, lastly:
- Show my family how much I appreciate them.
New Year’s resolutions aren’t for everyone. In my opinion, the old saying “new year, new you” is a load of bull. We’re happiest when we can be ourselves. But sometimes we need to step back and take stock, and this is the perfect opportunity to do so.
We may be growing older and becoming more stuck in our ways, but that doesn’t mean we can’t change what isn’t working for us and improve what has grown stagnant.
Have a safe and happy New Year, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. And, young folk, that means no low-rise jeans and visible underwear. Seriously. You’ll thank me for it later.
Sonya Bateson is a writer, reader and crafter raising her family in Tauranga. She is a millennial who enjoys eating avocado on toast, drinking lattes and defying stereotypes. As a sceptic, she reserves the right to change her mind when presented with new evidence.
