Yonit Shames
Published: January 9, 2006
New Year’s celebrations have come and gone, but millions of New Year’s resolutions remain to haunt us (at least for the next few months, after which many will be forgotten). Every year, millions of Americans grit their teeth, set their stopwatches, and swear that they will reach some spectacular goal or another.
Amazingly enough, considering the diversity we enjoy, most resolutions revolve around very common themes. Leading the way is the ubiquitous goal of losing weight, followed by stopping smoking, saving money, finding a better job, getting a raise, becoming more organized, leading a healthier lifestyle, spending more time with family, and the cryptic “being a better person.”
The umbrella term that unites all of these goals? Self-improvement. In other words, these goals, as admirable as they may be, are purely for self-advancement.
While it’s surely commendable to resolve to get a raise or spend more time with family, neither commitments mean that spending more time helping others needs to completely drop from the list.
Many Americans also fall victim to the aggressive advertising of the weight-loss industry and spend money and resources on it, when people could be spending both funds and time on far more worthwhile objectives.
People’s desire to lose weight after New Year’s is thoroughly exploited by the industry. During January, fitness clubs generally sell more than 15 percent of their annual memberships. Diet books are traditionally released in January, the official beginning of “the diet season.” The month is also host to the launch of an abundance of weight loss gimmicks, all furnished with a guarantee to aid in “dropping those holiday pounds.”
Not that there’s anything wrong with a few weight-loss aids or a few selfish goals. A fit and healthy you may be the key to unlocking the volunteer within, and there is undisputable benefit, both personal and societal, to maintaining good health.
But why do New Year’s resolutions, coming after a few months of hectic generosity, contain so little conscientious consideration or social awareness? It is as though from the moment the presents are opened, giving is no longer a concern and we forget that just weeks ago we were frantically shopping for gifts for everyone we know.
Very few of us stop to consider that alongside trying to develop a healthier lifestyle and attitude toward our own lives, Resolution Number Three could still involve spending an hour a month as a volunteer helping others do the same.
Even if spending more time with family is number one on the priority list, Resolution Number Eight could still be buying a few extra canned goods at the supermarket every week to donate to a food bank.
Each year, our resolution lists prove that we have learned nothing from the ironically named “season of giving.” What better way for us to show that we’ve learned lessons about forgiveness, community and joy than bringing these to people less fortunate than ourselves- particularly after the season ends?