The resolution: yea or nay?

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I thrive off of new beginnings. Whether itโ€™s another birthday or a new year, I live for moments to start anew โ€“ my rebirth of sorts.

Life gets stale pretty quickly and too often people find themselves in ruts โ€“ doing the same things day in and day out without question. I promised myself to never be one of those people who becomes too afraid to challenge their comfortable, safe, predictable life.

When I turned 20 I got my first tattoo; at 21 I signed up for a half-marathon. Last year at new yearโ€™s I was determined to get in control of what had become some embarrassing partying habits. And I have followed through, with my best effort, in everything I have taken on.

This year I have resolved to track my 2010 new yearโ€™s resolution on my blog: I took up the challenge to eat everything anyone offers me in order to expand my eating horizons (a lifetime challenge of food fear).

And while I could simply accept my limitations, I make sure I value those certain set dates every year that act as reminders for me to change my life for the better. Without them I would have never pushed myself to set specific goals based on unchangeable timelines and would not be able to learn more about who I am.

Furthermore, this ritual of settings goals every year necessitates one to re-evaluate themselves. The big question becomes: am I the person I thought I would be at this point in my life? If the answer is no, then change it, no excuses.

New yearโ€™s acts as a silent judgment day, whether or not you achieved your goals it still looms in everyoneโ€™s mind and instills an appropriate guilt trip for those who, once again, settle for whatโ€™s comfortable.


Serving the Waterloo campus, The Cord seeks to provide students with relevant, up to date stories. Weโ€™re always interested in having more volunteer writers, photographers and graphic designers.