Contrary to popular belief, New Year's resolutions aren't just not meant to be broken. They're simply not meant to be made. Resolutions aren't worth the calories you waste just thinking about them: here's why.
The Making
The hopeful making of a New Year resolution fills your body and mind with positive energy. You start thinking you'll smash the goal you're aiming at, you throw away all the "unhealthy" foods you hoard in your cupboards, buy brand new gym gear and and swear to get up early to go on a run.
You would never think all this great motivation could turn into anything negative. You never think about the fact that your goals — getting that "Victoria's Angel" body or having perfect, glowing (and unattainable) skin — are only the product of society banqueting on your insecurities.
You strive for a few days in your unnecessarily expensive new lifestyle and then, out of stress and fatigue, you break the resolution. Sure, a promise has been broken. But there's a worse consequence than that: there's the threat this broken resolution puts on your wellbeing.
The Breaking
It's happened to me, it's happened to you and it's probably happened to the majority of people on this planet. Breaking a New Year resolution breaks you. You start thinking you aren't good enough, you see all your (imaginary) flaws and completely disregard your amazing qualities and achievements.
Of course, these negative thoughts can last only a few weeks — maybe a few hours — if you're a really positive person. However, for some all this negativity can grow and spiral out of control. Getting out of it once it has grown inside you isn't easy at all. That's why you should avoid all triggers, and this is why you should never make a New Year resolution.
The (real) Resolution
While I never make New Year's resolutions, I am a firm believer in making every day, life long promises to my body and my mind. Making a short term, out of the blue resolution is not only trivial, but it also lacks the motivation and the strength to be successful.
Making your life more active and healthier is a process that has to be enacted every day, and developing better eating habits or building a positive relationship with food isn't something that can be improvised without dedication and the right mindset. However, with time, balance and a resolution that doesn't have an expiry date you'll be able to take care of your body and your wellbeing, and achieve all the goals you can think of.