Happy New Year everyone! The new year is always an exciting time. Who doesn’t love an excuse to celebrate and party with friends, family and loved ones? It’s usually a fun time. Resolutions can also be a fun time depending on who you ask.

If you ask me, I don’t believe it’s such a black and white affair. New Year’s resolutions are great for many reasons, but also have their drawbacks.

What a better way to start the new year than by talking about it?

First off, people have been making resolutions for a while. I’m not exactly sure how long, but when you think of the new year, you’re likely to think of resolutions. Many resolutions usually have to do with self improvement.

I know tons of people who start the new year with a resolution that goes along the lines of “I want to go to the gym more”. Or how about “I want to eat healthier”?

It doesn’t just have to be purely health-based though. Some people make resolutions like “I want to spend more time with friends and family”. These kinds of resolutions I like, and I admire those that make similar goals.

The unfortunate part about resolutions is that barely anyone follows through with them anymore.

I remember being a child, and hearing a lot of talk about resolutions. We would even go around and share what our resolutions were during class activities. I have fond memories of reading new year’s picture books in the library of my elementary school.

I can see this place so vividly in the back of my brain. Nowadays though, I don’t hear much about resolutions. I feel like people take them less seriously, and some don’t even make them.

Some view resolutions as just a fad, and that’s a damn shame considering how exciting and almost mystical they were as a kid.

This may just be an occurrence on my end.

Perhaps the people in my life don’t stick to their resolutions, or don’t make them to begin with. Who knows. All I can do is write about my experiences. What do I make of it all? Well, the honest truth is it’s not that simple. Like all things, this situation depends on the purpose.

Some people make resolutions just for the sake of it. Some do it to genuinely grow.

I go to the gym. 

So I know how many people try to better themselves around the New Year, for better or worse.

Out of all these resolution-goers, if only one of them continues to have a healthier, more fulfilling life, then it’s all worth it in my opinion. I’m a glass half full kind of guy. Maybe it’s the inner superhero fan in me, ever since I was a kid, but I believe we all deserve the chance to do better, to be better.

It’s up to us to live up to that potential. Such is the beauty of the new annual. 

Editor’s Note: We are so lucky to have Nick writing for Ohana Homefront. Here at Mission:Milspouse, we are grateful for the service and the heart that organizations like Ohana provide for our military community.