The term ‘resolution’ comes from the verb ‘to resolve’, meaning to commit with determination. Any commitment is impressive, particularly in a pandemic, and finding determination is a feat which deserves celebrating. In recognition of the resilience we have all shown in finding the determination to make the best of the worst year in living memory, here are the resolutions of two contributors who have found the resolve to have a go. They are a reminder that even the littlest of victories are incredible.
Being bold this 2021 by Oliver Morgan
‘Resolutions’ are funny things: for better or worse, they mark the beginning of a fresh chapter in the book of your life. At least, they’re meant to. Some people follow them to the letter, whilst others find themselves back to their old ways within a matter of days. They say that ‘rules are made to be broken’, and these self-imposed regulations mean that making it to the end of January is usually a feat in itself.
To this end, there’s only one thing I wanted my New Years’ Resolution to be, and that was ‘achievable’. It’s the small steps you make in life which make the bigger picture, and the one mantra I follow is the age-old adage that, indeed, ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day.’
Undoubtedly a challenge for someone as indecisive as myself, I pledged to take steps to ‘be better’ by the end of 2021. Doing so is a different matter, but by making the objective decision to be more proactive with the decisions I make every day, this is one resolution which can surely be retained throughout the next twelve months.
At first, this may seem vague, hesitant and rather woolly. Rightly, when people think of a New Years’ resolution, they make a target which, at first, seems like a tangible aim – a loss of weight, swivel to veganism or willingness to learn a new language are popular examples. But as 2020 gave us the chance to reflect, it also made us think outside the box to feel productive, even when there’s nothing tangible to complete written-up in the calendar.
Like with all pledges, the challenge was deciding how to bring this resolution to fruition. Motivated to tackle life with my best foot forward, I figured the ‘baby steps’ approach would be more effective than putting all of my efforts into a week of proactivity for there to be nothing to show for it afterwards.
Being ‘proactive’ is something many of us have felt unmotivated to do over the past year – and for good reason. Yet this resolution gives me the much-needed focus that’s been lacking for too long during what they say are the most important years of my life.
Part mindfulness, part confidence and part enthusiasm, for me, this resolution bundles my aims for the year into one simple package. It’s not necessarily about doing something terribly out of my comfort zone; however, maybe I’ll become eager to do more of that. Stranger things have certainly happened.
But with so much noise on social media about people’s successful ventures during lockdown, it’s easy to compare what I’ve done to those who have seemingly done so much more with their time. But, life would be very boring if we were all the same, and progress is a lot more than reaching materially successful milestones.
It’s not about forcing myself to adopt a ‘positive mental attitude’ mindset, or building a million-pound business from scratch in six months, because that’s just not achievable. What this target focuses on is doing what feels right in improving myself socially, academically and mentally – all of which reflect a more fulfilled, and contented, life.
From reaching out to employers, keeping up with friends on Messenger (which I’ve grown a bad reputation for doing), or planning to do things when we’re out of restrictions, the one thing that the past twelve months have taught me is that there’s no reason why I shouldn’t take a leap of faith to try new things when the opportunity arises.
I’ve coined this 2021 resolution as the aim to be more ‘bold.’ There’s no point hoping for something to happen if I don’t take action myself – and that’s precisely what I want to change in 2021. From appreciating life’s ‘little wins’ to pushing myself to be more proactive, this resolution is achievable yet aspirational and hopefully will provide me with a much-needed confidence boost.
Together, we can all do that, in our own way. Success isn’t quantitative or measurable, but by pushing myself each day to try something new and be the better version of myself, I will have the motivation to reach December with a feeling of contentment, triumph and gratification.
Lockdown legs: my running resolution by Rory O’Shea
Pre-lockdown me was unhealthy, lethargic and lazy. Moping towards the fridge to fetch a snack counted as my weekly equivalent of physical activity, and lifting up shampoo bottles in the shower was my weight training. In other words, the word ‘sport’ didn’t exist in my dictionary. The mere prospect of doing any form of exercise made me want to vomit.
However, when the first lockdown dawned upon me in Spring 2020, I was extremely bored. Rummaging through my Instagram feed, I came to notice that many of my friends were taking part in five kilometer running challenges and posting it on social media; you had to run five kilometers and donate five pounds to the NHS. It was a great idea and for a wonderful cause; I jumped on the bandwagon without hesitation. I tied my shoelaces, put on some hand-me-down sportswear from my father and finally stepped out of the house to go running.
My first run did remind me how unfit I was. To onlookers, I most certainly looked like a disoriented and crippled elephant that had escaped from the circus, but what mattered the most was how I felt on the inside— and that was utter joy. That thrilling, rewarding sentiment that enchanted my whole body once I’d completed my five kilometres was one like no other.
It was the first time I’d felt good about myself in a long time, and I discovered I had this secret passion for running— which was so unlike me, it was almost comical. Not only was I raising money for the NHS, but I was also getting in shape whilst doing so. Thus, I set out a resolution to resume running and do it more frequently.
Let’s bear in mind that this particular resolution wasn’t going to be easy for me to fulfil. Full disclosure, I’m a glass-half-empty kind of guy. All of my peers can confirm that ‘I give up’ is my life motto, so how on Earth was the infamously stubborn Rory O’Shea going to sustain a habit of running for the rest of his life? I knew I wouldn’t be able to persevere with working out on the regular unless I began to believe in myself, and so, as awkward as it was for me to properly look at myself in the mirror without wincing in horror, I did what was necessary to keep the promise I had made to myself.
And the rest is history! Over time, I took the task of running five km like a duck to water, doing it so frequently that it became a habit that I couldn’t get rid of. As a matter of fact, I got so obsessed that I found myself forbidding my mother from driving to the supermarket to collect some groceries, insisting that I could run there and back instead. All jokes aside, I began running five km several times a week, almost daily. Every time and without fail, I would return on my front porch feeling extremely confident.
Things only went uphill from there when I started to run further distances. So far, my highest record is 15km, a run that I completed in under two hours and that I am rather proud of.
All in all, it is safe to say that I went the extra mile (literally) to ensure that I didn’t let the depressive repercussions of lockdown get the best of me. At the beginning of lockdown, I was a cloistered couch potato with no purpose, but running gave me a reason to wake up each morning. It’s made me a happier, healthier and more optimistic young man. And I’ve not looked back since.
