The Tribune

By CARA HUNT

Tribune Features Writer

cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

IT’S a new year and with it comes thoughts of resolutions and being all you can be.

Self-help books abound, gyms are offering discount memberships for persons who vow to lose those extra holiday pounds and social influencers are flooding their pages with inspirational though annoying hash tags about how they will be manifesting all their hopes and dreams in the new year.

And while it’s good to have goals, many women feel that are New Year’s resolutions are just another way the world tries to make you feel inadequate.

Shelly says that she stopped making resolutions years ago.

“I don’t make resolutions because let’s be real, I am lazy, I won’t be working out to lose twenty pounds, I will probably gain a few more. I want to be patient with my kids but honestly they will annoy me at some point and I will go off them, I want to save more money, but with bills and expenses rising everyday unless we starve I don’t see how that will happen, so I guess my only goal is to get through the year with minimum drama.”

Christina says the social media New Year’s hype is just another way influencers try to prove they are better than others.

“Honestly, since the beginning of the holidays, I have felt like I am not on the ball, between the 30 days of gratitude posts that started in November, all the cookie nights and matching family pajamas pictures and the fabulous Christmas posts. Now we getting all the New Year New Me posts, meanwhile I still have gifts in the closet I have not gotten around to wrapping and parts of my house that never got decorated.

“I am not gonna pretend I will magically get it together since it’s January, I just gonna take it one day at a time and pray for guidance and wisdom.”

Meanwhile, Tanya said: “To me, making resolutions is setting yourself up because say I say I want to lose 30 pounds and I only lose 15, that is still an accomplishment, so my resolution is not to lose weight, just to eat healthier, my resolution is to try be a better wife and mother and to be more tolerant of others whatever way I can.

“Life is hard enough without putting extra pressure on yourself. I don’t want to knock the people who do use the new year to reset, but it’s not necessary.”