What version this Year?

There was a certain year, that so many peoples new year resolution was to return aura for aura. It was probably last year, or the year before cause it’s still quite fresh in my memory. I didn’t think so much of it then, and because I didn’t know better, I was part of them. This particular decision is actually one of the worst decisions anybody would choose to make for themselves, while going into a new year.

There’s usually so much pressure at the end of every year, and this makes many people try to adopt unhealthy lifestyles, simply because they saw someone tell a story of how it worked for them in the past year. Imagine setting yourself up for a stressful year, by choosing to study every action of people around you, and looking for opportunities to retaliate.

Having tried this before, I can tell you for a fact that it was so exhausting, you just can’t keep up except you enjoy torturing yourself mentally of course. Now that I think of it, the fact that my resolutions only worked the first five days in the year, wasn’t such a bad idea when it comes to resolutions like these. I can’t even imagine how my year would have turned out if I had followed this through.

This year, I didn’t come across as much new year resolutions like years before. I guess it’s finally dawned on many people that incorporating change doesn’t always start on the first day in a year.

On the issue of resolutions, I once came across a lady on social media that said she was going to be embracing that version of herself that’s grateful for everything. Her resolution actually stuck with me because most times, these resolutions are usually made by people who desperately want to turn their lives around for the better, but end up not doing anything in the end.

Before hers, most of the resolutions I’ve been seeing, were the regular ones known to man. Nothing different, just the same empty challenges, worded differently. No matter how much we are reminded to be grateful, there are always times where we forget the value of whatever is happening around us, and so, gratitude is often sidelined. This year 2026, while more people are realizing the need for actions than mere sayings at the beginning of each year, gratitude is something everyone should embrace more (if they aren’t already).

Seeing her resolution transported me back to a certain time last year, where I had experienced something so tragic, i began pondering on every minute of my life. I even went as far as being grateful for the opportunity to watch videos on TikTok, lol. Everytime I remember the experience that brought me to that point in time, I remember the need to be grateful for my past experiences, and whatever I was doing at the time.

In my opinion, this is one of the best resolutions to be made, not the type where people are always wanting to magically transform overnight. It’s good to have a sense of direction when starting a new year but there’s no reason for the pressure we put ourselves through making plans we never carried out. It’s so beautiful to see people recognizing that resolutions could also mean improving oneself while also retaining the existing version of you.

Thanks for reading.

Images above are mine.