Why do so many of us make New Year’s resolutions? Do they help? Are they frustrating? Do they bring hope? Do they create pressure? Do they cause us stress? Do they actually work? Do they give us something to look forward to?
The only resolution I made on New Year’s Day (which worked for me) was the one I made on January 1st, 1994. It was the day I decided to stop adding sugar to my tea and coffee. I’m still ‘sugar-free’ when drinking tea and coffee. Success!
If you’ve made any New Year’s resolutions, good luck with them. If, like me, you haven’t, grab the nearest 2026 calendar and count how many days it shows. Why am I asking you to count the days on a calendar? There’s a valid reason for this.
Did you count 365 days? Yes? If you counted 366, then you’re looking at 2024’s calendar. Ditch it. Now look at all those days 2026 has to offer.
Each of those days marks a new beginning. Every day offers a chance to start something new. Each day brings opportunities that come knocking. Every day provides a chance to set a resolution if you choose to. Each day allows you to utilise your time effectively. Every day presents an opportunity to make someone smile. Each day gives you a chance to do something good for another person. Every day is a day you can put to good use. Don’t waste them.
What am I getting at?
In simple terms, you can initiate a resolution on any day of the year. I’ve had more success with resolutions I began on days other than New Year’s Day. This makes a lot of sense when considering 364 days compared to one. And isn’t each new day the start of a new year in your life?
Thank you.
Each new year, I reflect and express my gratitude to those who have shaped my life over the past 12 months. This includes not only the people I have met but also those I’ve never encountered, yet who have influenced my life in some way.
As a blogger, I refer to those who visited my blog, engaged with the discussions on my posts, and interacted with the photos I shared.
If you’re not a blogger, the people you interact with on social media may have influenced your life in some way. Consider this: you don’t need to hear spoken words from someone for them to impact your life. Likewise, you don’t have to meet someone in person for them to affect your life.
If it weren’t for all of you out there, the last 12 months would have been a little quieter and emptier here on my blog. And I don’t believe that’s something any blogger wants for their blog.
So, a big thank you for all your support, kindness, and friendship, and for being a significant part of my 2025. You listened to me; you made me laugh. Some of you made me cry, and that’s how I reacted to one of your posts. You astounded me; you made me think. You changed my life or encouraged me to try something new. You entertained me. You helped me through the low points and shared my happiness and joy during the high ones. You influenced me.
What was 2025 like for you?
2025 may have had its low points, but it will also have included some high points. Sometimes, it’s a simple case of coming out of the forest of lows and seeing the highs. Focus on the highs, not the lows.
One of the most significant opportunities for me was having the chance to step back, look at how I was blogging and change how I was doing it. I almost gave up, but when it comes to my online audience and friends, I’m not a quitter.
Don’t feel pressured into publishing blog posts every day. Sadly, I’ve witnessed too many bloggers give up on their blogs because they believed that if they didn’t publish every day, no one would visit. How wrong they were. Anyone who tells you that you must publish a blog post every day to become a successful blogger is not telling you the truth.
Engagement on my blog increased despite a trend toward fewer people engaging and a shift toward engaging more on social media.
2025 may almost be over or gone, but it shouldn’t be forgotten. Why? Because, like any day, week, month or year, it played a significant part in your life.
Thank you, 2025.
Thank you, 2025, for the opportunities you presented to me. You may think you did a good job at hiding them from me, but they were there when I looked hard enough!
Now, I’m looking forward to the opportunities 2026 will bring. Are you?
What to do with New Year’s Resolutions
Turn them into opportunities. Opportunities to make new friends, new acquaintances, and new experiences. Make people laugh every day, make people happy, teach people something new, and tell somebody something that will make their day. Don’t turn your resolutions into opportunities that become barriers or hurdles for you or anyone else or that make people unhappy. Be kind to people, even if you don’t agree with what they have to say.
Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.
To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people just exist.
We are all in the gutter. But some of us are looking at the stars.
Oscar Wilde
Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Have you experienced some exciting successes along the way? What incredible opportunities did 2025 offer you? I’d love to hear your thoughts—leave me a comment and let’s inspire each other in this discussion!
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This post was originally published on 1st January 2025. It has been updated and republished.
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I never make New Year’s resolutions. I don’t think I need to stop anything on the 1st Jan, if I wanted to stop something, then you can do it any day or time.
I absolutely agree, Wayne. Every day is the beginning of a new year.
Hi Hugh I hope you have having a lovely Christmas and start to the new year. Do you mind if I ask you a question as I’ve been going in circles here! I’d like my homepage to be set out in a similar way to yours, in that yours lists a paragraph summary and photo for each post. Mine goes straight into my whole latest post, meaning a lot of scrolling down to see the previous posts. Is there a setting I can choose to make this happen? Or is it a feature of your theme? (In which case, would you mind letting me know the name of your theme? I’m sure you mentioned it in a previous post.) Thank you very much.
Hello, I’m always happy to help.
My blog’s homepage is currently set to my ‘About’ page.’ However, if you look under ‘Settings’ on your blog’s dashboard, click ‘Reading’ and ensure the setting for ‘For each post in a feed, include’ is set to Excerpt. Ensure you click the ‘Save’ button once you make the change.
I hope that helps. If not, come back to me.
Wishing you a happy and health 2025 Hugh. It’s almost 5 years for me getting rid of adding any sweeteners to my tea or coffee. Now if I could just lay off the chocolate. :) 💙
Well done on achieving that resolution, Debby.
I do like chocolate, too. A little bit of something every day does no harm. Those were the words of my grandmother. And she was a wise lady.
Happy New Year.
I’ll take those words from your grandma Hugh, lol. <3
This blog post made me smile BIG, Hugh! Not only well said but also well written. Quality over quantity. It’s the small things that matter. I really liked your statement that every day is the beginning of a new year.
Happy New Year to you and yours. Make every day in 2025 count. I know you will. Thank YOU for influencing my life and my happiness. xox
Thank you, Liesbet. I always look at every day being the beginning of a New Year. It’s always given me new opportunities, hope and, most importantly, enjoying life. I also see it as the start of not worrying about anything that is outside of my control. I wasted so much of my life worrying about stuff that did not happen or that I had no control over.
Your last sentence took me by surprise. I can’t tell you how happy it made me feel.
Happy New Year to you, Mark and Maya. x
New year resolutions create pressure and stress, especially when other people ask about them.
I like the idea of looking for opportunities rather than making resolutions, for showing gratitude and looking for the best in situations and people.
That’s a great way of looking at it.
I made a resolution just before Christmas, but I am not pressured about it. I’ve shared it with a few people, but those you tell often forget what you told them anyway.
Good luck with those upcoming opportunities. I hope 2025 presents many to you.
A wonderful message, Hugh. I don’t make resolutions, but I do find a word that is the theme for the year. So far, I’m still waiting on 2025’s word. Happy New Year!
I actually made a resolution just before Christmas, and so far, so good, Jan. The only word for the year I chose is ‘Rabbit.’ It’s the first word I say when I either wake up on New Year’s Day or if I manage to see in the New Year (which I didn’t do this New Year).
Happy New Year.
Lovely post, and Happy New Year to you, Hugh. I don’t make resolutions, but set mini-goals for my self throughout the year. When I took a hiatus from my weekly prompts, I spent time reorganizing and decluttering my blog. Now, I am in the process of decluttering my home.
Congrats on your successful blogging stats, Hugh! I cut back on posting, which hasn’t affected my stats as I am still gaining followers. My poetry appeared in two new anthologies in 2024, and I am looking forward to 2025 being a great year!
Decluttering always makes me feel good, Eugi. It always brings a sense of achievement, and I have done something good for myself. Last year, I promised to declutter 365 items from my home. I went beyond that figure and felt excellent about it.
I’m glad you’ve confirmed that nobody needs to publish daily posts to succeed at blogging. Too many people think they must publish daily; otherwise, they will lose followers, and their stats will nosedive, which is incorrect. Well done on maintaining your stats and gaining new followers.
Happy New Year.
I stopped making NY resolutions, Hugh. No word of the year, etc. I’m naturally goal oriented and motivated by schedules, routines and calendar events. I retired from full-time work 10 yrs ago on 12/26. Other than teaching part time for 5 more yrs I discovered I had more time to go more slowly and keep an even pace. If I’m to have a goal for 2025 it would be to cherish time with loved ones. We’ve enjoyed the holidays with Dad and that’s all I asked. Soon we’ll be back on the road to Southern California then back to AZ.
Congrats on your successful blogging stats and short story submissions! Lately, I’ve measured by blog success by how many bloggers I’ve met in person. I already had lunch with one here in Scottsdale and will soon see a few more.
Wishing you a joyous 2025, Hugh! Cheers! 🎉🥂
Having more time to carry out resolutions sure does help, Terri. Have those 10 years gone quickly? I took early retirement during the London Olympics and haven’t looked back. However, sometimes, my days, weeks and months seem fuller than when I was working, but that’s a good thing.
It’s been a while since I met another blogger, but I’ve met many over the years I’ve blogged. I guess we can all measure success differently, but the main aim is to enjoy what we do.
Happy New Year, Terri.
Great post, Hugh. I think resolutions made on New Years Day can bring on too much pressure. Best to make changes when it makes sense – and there’s more chance for success. I do love starting my new calendar, though, and seeing the days fill up with fun things to do.
That’s true about putting pressure on ourselves with New Year’s resolutions, Janis. I’ve always found them more manageable when I don’t start them on New Year’s Day. After all, there’s another 364 days to choose from.
Happy New Year Hugh! I agree with you that we can set a new goal any day of the year. In the last couple of years, I’ve started choosing a theme for the year to set direction. Then I choose smaller monthly goals to align with that theme, or other things I want to accomplish. It works for me.
If it works for you, that’s the best thing, Michelle. You certainly don’t sound as if you’re standing still.
Happy New Year to you, too.
What a wonderful essay. My only resolutions are to get more exercise and hire someone to help me with the garden. I’d like to republish my two books but that will just take some guts on my part!! You know how that goes! 😉🎈🎈🎈
I’ve promised my body that I will take at least a 30-minute walk outside at least once a day this new year. I find that walking every day also helps me sleep better.
Good luck with republishing the books. I hope you are successful with it.
Happy New Year, Jan.
Thank you for your blogs. I love reading other’s perspective of things.
You’re welcome.
Happy New 2025 Year! The first week of the New Year I look back over my notebooks of all I have done in the past year then make plans for the first month and take it from there.
Sounds like a great plan. Does one notebook take up a whole year?
Happy New Year.
Some notebooks include two years. Then I look back how far I have come, what needs to be changed, and make up a list of what I want to do in January and then continue on for the other months.
I haven’t made New Year resolutions for a few years but I’ve made a couple this year, the biggest being to stop comparing myself unfavourably with other people. But you’re right, we have an opportunity every day to take stock and improve.
With so much nastiness in the world, I decided the way to counter it is not to rage and argue, but to be positive and kinder, which alludes to what you say in your post. And you know something Hugh, it works. I feel better doing that even if its in small ways, than I ever did arguing with someone who posts something nasty or cynical online. And I believe it has chance of making a more positive difference.
And thank-you in return for all the support you gave this year, and all the positivity that comes through on your blogs. Happy 2025.
Paul, I love your positive attitude in your comment. Whenever I feel negative about something, I immediately think of something positive.
I deleted my Twitter profile on New Year’s Eve because of the negativity and sheer hate it had become. When I pushed that delete button, I can’t tell you how much better it made me feel, knowing I’ll never visit that place again and what I was leaving behind.
Having a positive attitude goes a long way in helping our mental health. And like you, I now either walk away or respond positively whenever I hear anyone being hateful about others. I’m sure taking that action also helps extend our lives.
Lovely post, Hugh. And Happy New Year to you, too. My only resolution is to do everything necessary to stay healthy!
That’s an excellent resolution, Noelle. I’ve promised myself that I’ll go for a walk every day. So far, so good.
Happy New Year to you.
thank you for your positives – happy new year!
You’re welcome, Beth. Happy New Year.
Thank you for such an uplifting post! A great way to start the new year! Happy New Year to you!
I’m delighted that you find this post uplifting. It’s focused on embracing the positives all year round, not just on New Year’s Day. Happy New Year, Betty.
I am goal oriented and love setting goals for the year. I did very well in meeting most of my goals for 2024 and am ready to sit out in the sun and make a list for 2025. 2024 was a great year for me and I expect nothing less for 2025. Wishing you and yours all the best for the coming year! Just keep posting these great reads. I agree, we don’t need to post every day.
That’s wonderful to read, Darlene. I think it’s all about having a positive attitude rather than always focusing on the negatives.
I hope you smash the goals you set yourself for 2025.
Happy New Year.
Excellent points to think and act upon when considering the year to come. Wishing you and yours a very Happy New Year. :)
Many of us begin a new year thinking the worst, but we should never forget the positives. I’m certainly looking forward to longer days and know they are already on the way.
Happy New Year to you.
Happy New Year! I do make some small resolutions, or goals for the year. I do adjust them if needed. And I have never done a full “new year new me”.
Do you start those new resolutions on New Year’s Day, or do you start some at other parts of the year? I hope none of them make you feel you’ve failed if you don’t manage them.
I kind of tend to do a soft start once I decide what goals I want to focus on. And then go more full speed from the new year. If I don’t manage I look at the reasons why I don’t manage and I mostly adjust them a bit as life happens
That’s a great way of looking and doing it.