At this time of year, as one year ends and another is about to begin, we are prompted to reflect, reappraise and plan for the future. It feels like a natural point in the yearly cycle to make changes to our lives.  At such moments of change, we are more open and willing than usual to make changes to how we live.  

The practice of celebrating the start of a new year and making new year resolutions goes back thousands of years. In ancient times, people believed that if they promised to make changes their Gods would in turn be good to them in the year ahead.

The tradition of making new year resolutions is alive and well today; according to our latest Reflecting Ireland research 9 in 10 have already made resolutions for 2025.  

The most popular involve getting fitter, physically and mentally, and spending more time with family and friends.

Unfortunately, of those of us that make new year’s resolutions, only about 10% successfully implement lasting change (1). Studies show most of us will lose our resolve within 4 to 6 weeks.

Most new year resolutions involve a time commitment, like getting more exercise, taking steps to look after our mental health, or spending more time with family and friends.  We tend to add these extra time commitments on top of everything else, hoping to get better at squeezing more into the time we have.

Having more things to do might make us feel busier, but it also leaves us feeling we never have enough time, which can make us more anxious about the future. When asked to describe our personal mood about living in Ireland in 2025, ‘anxious’ was the most common response, reported by 1 in 5. 

According to Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks, Time Management for Mortals (2) we should stop focusing on getting everything done, on being in a constant state of efficiency and productivity. “The harder you struggle to fit everything in, the more of your time you’ll find yourself spending on the least meaningful things.” He argues we would be happier if we accepted that distraction is a part of life and that we are never fully in control of our time.  He suggests what will contribute most to our happiness is spending more time in the real vs. digital world, particularly with family, friends and community.

This is reflected in what people tell us will motivate them most in the year ahead. For the third year in a row, it’s looking forward to celebratory events with family and friends.

We increasingly appreciate the important contribution socialising with friends makes to our health and wellbeing. For the last 3 years the number that agree has increased, from 31% to 35% to 40%.

As Burkeman argues there will always be too much to do; we cannot make the world run at a different speed. If we want to make more time for connections, particularly with family and friends, we need to decide what to drop. It will be worth it! It’s real world connections that will keep us all positive in 2025.

Read the full #ReflectingIreland report here

References:

1. Why New Year’s health resolutions are a waste of time – The Irish Times
2. Burkeman, O., 2021. Four thousand weeks: Time management for mortals. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

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