It’s that time of year when you sit down with pen and paper to think about everything you plan to do or catch up from the previous year for the new year. Like every year, you have a list.

And we’re here to talk about it.

What is a list of New Year’s resolutions for you? Tasks to accomplish? Goals to accomplish? The ultimate hack to becoming an upgraded version of yourself in a year?

You will notice that you often forget to ask yourself this basic question before jumping into your list of resolutions. The popularity of this list has mainly been fueled by the success stories of people over the years. Chances are you’ve been inspired by other people who have successfully changed their lives with the help of a carefully planned, well-thought-out list of resolutions to get better.

According to a survey by market research and data analysis company YouGov, of all the people who had prepared goal lists for 2021, around 50% were able to achieve a significant number of goals on their respective lists. Therefore, your list is a means to an end, nothing more.

You end up investing in such a list for the sake of investing in one, hoping that it turns out to be a one-stop solution to all of your problems, miraculously causing a rapid transformation in your life.

Raya Rafia Choudhury, a 22-year-old environmental science student, doesn’t believe in having a list of resolutions for the start of a new year. She states that a single day of the year ultimately cannot work as a lasting measure for people working to improve themselves. The stress of coming up with a list of goals for a day at the start of a year can potentially make that list counterproductive.

Fourth year pharmacy student Bushra Zaman feels like someone who prefers to set new goals for herself with each academic semester that passes throughout the year.

The guilt and frustration that comes with not being able to hit all of your New Year’s goals ends up defeating the list goal that helps you get better. You have entered into a fantasy without considering real-world complications, and may gradually become depressed as you think about it.

Law student Tamjidul Hoque spoke about how the pandemic is preventing him from reaching his New Year’s goals in 2020.

“It was a reality check for me. I realized that while setting goals is a good thing, there is also the downside of getting depressed once you don’t meet the goals.” , did he declare.

Not everyone is particularly keen on putting together a list of New Year’s resolutions this year, with most attributing the decision to the physical and emotional strain caused by the pandemic.

In a study conducted by software company Oracle and research firm Workplace Intelligence in October 2021, it was found that about 75% of the 14,600 people working in 13 different countries felt their lives were “on hold” during the duration of the pandemic, in terms of both personal and professional relationships.

Tamjidul also explained why he felt the pandemic had discouraged him from preparing a list of resolutions as well.

He said: “My resolutions for 2020 were to meet new people, go to new places, learn new skills and test myself in a new environment. That is why I moved to Dhaka from Chattogram although I could easily have specialized in my field of choice of my hometown. I did not know at the time that a pandemic would force me to be under house arrest given the success of my first year at university, so I couldn’t achieve any of the goals I set for myself this year. “

How can one even prepare a list of resolutions in the midst of such uncertainty and tension?

Here’s the truth: there is no manual or DIY guide for this. You start by not forcing yourself to set unrealistic goals that you may not be able to achieve in a short period of time. If you are looking to work on yourself, whether on a personal or professional level, take small steps that gradually lead to a state of improvement, instead of taking giant leaps for quick results that won’t. paying. long-term. It’s not that your goals end up being unrealistic half the time, it’s just that you’re too rushed to accomplish something without considering the sustainability of the methods involved.

Amrin Tasnim Rafa, an A-level student, explained why she prefers to focus more on the process of accomplishing her goals rather than worrying about whether or not she was able to accomplish them.

“I choose to focus on how I can achieve my goals rather than what I can accomplish. I want to do my part, within my own limits, and not worry about recognition, achievement and results will help me get I feel everyone’s goals and resolutions should be more like “make healthier food choices as often as possible” rather than “lose so much weight by the end of February “”, explained Amrin.

The practice of making a list of personal improvement goals for yourself isn’t inherently problematic. But the added pressure of doing so and feeling guilty and frustrated about the lack of accomplishments, and ignoring the influence of external factors on your life can quickly turn the healthy nature of the practice into one. toxic nature.

It doesn’t matter when you decide to work on yourself or if you are able to stick to the resolutions you listed. What matters is that you share a healthy relationship with the list of goals and resolutions you set for yourself.

We only live once; it is important to live well.