Member-only story
New Year’s Resolutions: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
By Lauro Amezcua-Patino, MD, FAPA
I will stop smoking, drinking, beating my dog, you name it; someone will make it a New Year’s resolution. Or, I will begin reading, exercising, being nicer to my dog on the other extreme. We, as a society, take this somewhat arbitrary date Jan1st of each year to readdress issues that we have been forestalling, avoiding, or simply not determined to do, during the balance of the year. At the stroke of midnight, we begin with a dedication and Fosus to achieve certain goal, but often they peter out before we get to the first of February.
As the calendar flips to a new year, millions of people around the world engage in the tradition of setting New Year’s resolutions. These resolutions often serve as a symbolic fresh start, a chance to break old habits, and embrace positive changes. However, the journey from making resolutions to successfully achieving them is filled with pitfalls, challenges, and the occasional misstep.
This annual ritual transcends cultural and geographical boundaries, uniting individuals worldwide in the shared pursuit of self-improvement and personal growth. Yet, within the seemingly straightforward act of setting resolutions lies a complex tapestry of motivations, aspirations, and the potential for transformation.