Like most people of a certain age, my consumption of media has changed over time. I am on social media to some extent, and consume media broadly – electronically, legacy media, etc. As much as I have changed with technology, I am still old school in that I have the Concord Monitor delivered to my home daily. As of late, I have come to find that all media has seen a dramatic increase in the promotion of contrarian content. Sometimes, the content is so outlandish it has become known as “click bait.” But even in the op-eds and letters to the editor of The Concord Monitor, it seems like there is significant rise in strong contrarian views to any and all topics.
As we celebrate the new year, it has been a time-honored tradition for folks to make resolutions for the coming year. Given the well-known and widely accepted nature of this practice, it makes sense that in this current media environment, scores of articles, posts, and podcasts have taken a stance contrary to the act of making resolutions.
Well, I would like to take a stance contrary to the contrarians. That is, I believe that New Year’s resolutions are great. When one resolves to do something different or make a change in their life, it is a sign of hope and faith in one’s power of humanity. Resolutions are the manifestation of the growth mindset, and whether one actually has the resolve to bring their resolution to fruition is of little consequence. The simple act of making a resolution is indicative of one’s sense of aspiration.
At The Beech Hill School, “aspiration” is one of the four core principles that make our Foundations of Community. In the Foundations, in defining our sense of aspiration, it states that “We understand that it is always possible to improve our communities and ourselves. We achieve a sense of purpose through the creation of ambitious and meaningful goals.” With the change of the calendar and the dawn of a new year, what a perfect time to redefine, realign, and state anew one’s purpose through a New Year’s Resolution.
So, no need for contrarian arguments against this time-honored tradition, embrace the opportunity for growth, and make a resolution!