Craft New Year’s resolutions that truly matter

As we step into a new year, many of us are setting goals and resolutions.
As we step into a new year, many of us are setting goals and resolutions. But where are these goals coming from? Are they rooted in our true desires, or are they a product of societal pressure? Are we moved by the call of the soul, or are we reacting to the cacophony of noise that surrounds us?
The time has come to shift our gaze inward. Checking in with ourselves involves taking the time to reflect on our values, passions, and aspirations. It means questioning the sources of our motivation and ensuring they align with our inner purpose. This is a process that calls for honesty and courage.
We are living in a time of the aestheticised: the curated, picture-perfect ideal that saturates every inch of our existence.
Aestheticism tells us how to clothe ourselves, where to focus for a career, and even how we should dream But polished veneer and all, the uncomfortable truth lingers just beneath the surface: too many are losing touch with themselves.
We take on aesthetics that are not ours, copy goals alien to our real selves, and pursue dreams belonging to others. We don't know any more who we are, for our identities have shifted to the combination of influences around us.
We live in a hyper-successful era when everyone seems to pursue the next big thing: an even bigger paycheck, an even fancier title, or that elusive "financial freedom." Success has become a coping mechanism for many in an attempt to cover up the emotional void within. In many forms — loneliness, unresolved trauma, or just a general lack of purpose — one can try filling that void with substance abuse, temporary relationships, projects, promotions, or businesses. The irony is that when these external milestones are achieved, the hollowness remains.
Hyper-successful culture
One of the greatest dangers in this hyper-successful culture is running someone else's race. Social media really just pours gasoline on the problem, flooding us with other people's highlight reels. We see their best moments, wins, achievements, and perfectly styled homes — and we begin to compare. We adopt their dreams, goals, and plans and think it should also work for us since it worked for them.
What happens when you actually get to the finish line only to realise that it was not even your race to run? It is when we lose our authenticity that we already set ourselves up for defeat.
Most talk nowadays about success tends to be built upon financial freedom. We have always been made to believe that money buys everything.
The idolisation of financial freedom masquerades itself as a purpose, yet the two concepts are far from synonymous. Financial freedom is about taking away the impediments, but the purpose is something different altogether — to give meaning to it. The real question is, can we find contentment and fulfilment without tying our worth to our bank accounts?
Locking in with yourself means reclaiming one's authenticity against a world that never stops trying to mould you into something else. It is about cancelling the noise, letting go of external influences, and finding your way back into what truly matters to you.
When we finally start to live authentically, we stop in our mad dash to please others and start creating a life that feels honest to ourselves. This year, instead of striving for someone else's version of success, get on your version. Define fulfilment for yourself and pursue that unapologetically.
Christabel Nechesa Kakai is an accountant and writer.