It’s almost that time of year again.
In a few short days, a new year will be upon us, and the promise of a fresh start will arrive with it. Millions of people will soon be making new resolutions. Perhaps some will vow to pay off debt. Others will promise to travel to new places. We all (hopefully) will try to live a healthier lifestyle — and we will probably succeed for at least the first two weeks of January.
And as we prepare to embark on this clean slate, it is only natural to reflect on the past year as well.
For me, that’s easy to do — at least since June, when I began writing this column.
My resolution going into 2014 was to have new experiences. And halfway through the year, I realized I hadn’t been following through.
I was far too busy living a monotonous routine. I worked a 9-5. On the weekends, I would do the same activities with the same group of friends. Monday nights were reserved for The Bachelor and Wednesdays were for Modern Family. I went to the same gym and did the same workouts on the same three days a week. I stayed busy, and I was comfortable. But I was also bored.
I realized one of my greatest fears in life was perhaps becoming stagnant. And by mid-year 2014, as I began to reflect on how quickly time was flashing before my eyes, I realized that 2015 would arrive quickly, and I would have little to show for it if I continued on the same path.
I am proud to say that the last half of the year did not have the same result.
Taking on a new experience each week was the best thing I could have done for myself. I was always looking for something new. I stayed open-minded. Sometimes I searched for topics and other times they came to me. Sometimes I tried something I had always wanted to do anyway, and sometimes I did things I wasn’t very excited about but followed through for sake of journalism.
The big message here is — you guessed it — trying new things is important.
But the fascinating part is why.
Studies suggest that we are innately resistant to change. According to an article by Alex Lickerman, M.D., we as humans fear an unknown outcome more than a known bad one.
Yes, the unknown is scary.
But venturing into it is absolutely imperative. Having new experiences changes the way our brain functions. If we are constantly doing the same thing, our brain will see what it expects to see, and it processes information faster. There are many studies, according to the Scientific American, that support the theory that we learn almost exclusively through novelty.
In many ways, writing a column was my new experience all along. The outcome has been overwhelmingly positive and in some ways surprising.
Sometimes I attempted a hobby that I couldn’t finish, such as the week I tried to knit and couldn’t get past the first row of stitches.
Other times I tried something that stuck with me, like the weeks I went without social media or makeup. I have since drastically cut down on those things.
Perhaps the best part was the fact that it allowed me to meet new people or reconnect with old friends and acquaintances. It became a fun (and frequent) topic of conversation. It often had a ripple effect, as many times I included friends and family to try something new with me — or I would invite myself to try something new with them.
I love to set life goals. But for me to actually follow through with them, I need accountability. I operate on deadlines. This column gave that to me, and I thank all the Star readers and staff for allowing me to take this journey with them.
So this year, when you set your 2015 resolution, set your goals high. Make them reasonable and define them. Give yourself accountability.
And don’t let life get in the way. It’s easy to make excuses. Time and money will be factors, but they don’t have to be roadblocks. You might be surprised how much you can do with limited resources.
I was.
This is the conclusion of a weekly series about following through with a New Year’s resolution to have a new experience each week.
Alaina O'Neal 