“3…2…1!” The last three seconds of the year are counted down with swarming thoughts of the 365 days ahead. How many places will I travel to this year? What are my fitness goals? Which internship am I going to apply for this upcoming summer?
And that’s where the countdown feels like an opportunity for a fresh start.
“New year, new me” is the phrase that echoes through the walls of every home during the annual celebration. Resolutions are set, people grow committed in fulfilling their goals, and most of all, everyone wants to turn their lives around. The question is: Can this boost for personal development become overwhelming? Due to the unrealistic expectations of human nature, we begin to drown. Figuratively. We dive right into achieving the goals with higher expectations that take critical patience to see progress, slowly become unmotivated, and give up.
According to Richard Batts of The Ohio State University, 9% of Americans who make resolutions complete them by the end of the year. That means 91% fall back and carry on the feeling of regret. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean we should stop setting goals. Instead, we should slowly remove and add habits into our lives that help bring us closer to our commitments.
Famously, social media influencers on platforms including Tikok and Instagram classify the trend, synonymously, as “ins and outs.” Your “ins” are routines you want to start implementing daily or tasks you want to continue in the new year, such as going on a morning run; while “outs” are things you want to break, such as reducing screen time. Overall, building a comprehensive list of daily tasks assists in accomplishing a long term goal effectively.
The concept of “ins and outs” has taught many people that they can better their lives without having to press the restart button. Chloe Mac Donnell of The Guardian spoke with Liza Walter-Nelson of the British Psychological Society’s Division of Occupational Psychology, who says that ins and outs, “…could be a fun and engaging way to share personal goals or societal critiques.”
While having a single resolution can be daunting, having a series of “ins and outs” can serve as a “looser” way to express our focus for the new year, thus allowing people to feel less stressed and enjoy the process of reaching their goal. In order to attain their goals, they have to be flexible and able to handle any setbacks that affect productivity levels, while keeping up with healthy habits that bring them a step closer to the final destination.
So, what’s the key takeaway? Try creating an ins and outs list! It’s never too late to begin and make progress toward your goals. Maybe, your “new me” will come into perspective, and this year will be full of moments to celebrate.
