What do you think of New Year resolutions?

It is a new year and it is the norm to have resolutions. A New Year resolution is when someone decides to do better or drop bad habits they think would make them better. Is it realistic to think that entering a new year would help harden your resolve? LifeXtra takes a look at varying views about the issue.

When people resolve to do better, friends and family members should be supportive. It would be wrong to purposely dash their hopes and make them think they can’t do it. We can do anything we set our minds to. It would help them achieve their goals faster if they had a good support system. Would you be a good support system to your friend who wants to make better life choices, or would you be the party pooper who discourages them? Let us see what Nigerians think about this matter.

Rotimi Adepoju, a 31-year-old information technology technician who lives in Lagos told LifeXtra that he didn’t believe in making New Year resolutions. “People will do what they want to do; and that is the simple truth. The New Year day is just like any other day. The difference is that we have given that day an importance. If you want to change your life for the better, the right time to start is now. To say it is a new year; hence there should be a new me, is a deceit. I am not discouraging people from making resolutions, but I think they shouldn’t just do that for a new year before making good choices,” he said.

A 29-year-old Moses Adamolekun, who is a doctor and resident of Kaduna, said people who made resolutions in the New Year had positioned their minds to believe it is a fresh start. He said, “Doing this is psychological, and I believe it helps people stick to their resolutions. In my line of work, I have seen people make the necessary changes required of them. The prospect of having a second chance is important to humans. So, if people want to use the New Year as an anchor, that is totally fine, and I support it. Everyone should do what works best for them.”

Fidelis Chukwu, a resident of Abuja and businessman said there’s nothing wrong with people making New Year resolutions. He said, “Making New Year resolutions is not a new thing. In fact, that phrase has been taken for granted because many people are not serious about changing. You will see them going to their evil days after two weeks. Two weeks is even too much; after some days they are back to factory setting. It is a nice concept, but people don’t keep to it”

Florence Ogonna, a 46-year-old civil servant, told LifeXtra that she was indifferent about New Year resolutions. “I am neutral to the idea of New Year resolutions. If anybody wants to decide to change their lives, I wish them the best. But if you want to continue with your old ways, that is also fine. Everyone knows what is good and bad. The most important thing is that we should treat others with respect and love,” she said.