New Year, New You?

To me, 'New Year, New Me' isn’t about perfection, it’s about progress. It’s about standing at the start of a new year and saying, 'I’m willing to try again.

Happy New Year! 🎉🎊 Or is it too late for that? (I hope not!)

Every January, without fail, I hear the same phrase: “New Year, New Me”. It’s everywhere, on timelines, in conversations, even in my own head. It’s such a new year staple now that I don’t think I’d know how to start a year without hearing it lol.

This year though something different drew my attention, and that is the judgment that always seems to follow. The eye rolls and sarcastic comments, the dismissive tone.
Oversabi people have decided it’s just an overused cliché and they want the rest of the World to know it too. I couldn’t help wondering why it bothered them so much.

Why does the idea of someone wanting to change, even if they’ve said it before, irk you? The negativity and judgment surrounding this phrase feel unnecessary. In fact, I think it says more about the critics than the people saying it.

I’ll admit, I’ve been a “New Year, New Me” person before. I remember promising myself one year that that year, I’d finally get it right. I had a plan, I’d eat healthier, work out regularly, learn to create and stick to routines, learn how to say no to people, and so on and so forth.
Spoiler alert: by April, I was stress eating my way through junks panicking about an upcoming exam because I’d completely abandoned my study schedule.

But the thing is, it wasn’t a wasted year. Sure, I didn’t achieve all my goals, but I tried and that effort created a string of small victories. For the first few months, I did eat healthier, I did work out, and I did manage to set boundaries… sometimes 👀.
Did the mantra make me a brand new person? Nope! The year didn’t either. What it did though was give me something to hold on to.

To me, “New Year, New Me” isn’t about perfection, it’s about progress. It’s about hope. It’s about standing at the start of a new year and saying “I’m willing to try again”. It’s about trying to become a better version of yourself, whatever that means to you. For many people, the new year represents a fresh start, an opportunity to leave the mistakes of the past behind, a chance to dream big. Sometimes, people just need to believe that change is possible.

Sure, some people will repeat the phrase year after year without sticking to their resolutions or achieving any of their goals. That happens 🤷🏾‍♀️. But that doesn’t mean their effort was meaningless.

Trying, failing, and trying again is what growth is about. It’s not like we don’t know that change is hard. We know it doesn’t happen overnight, and it certainly doesn’t happen just because the calendar flips. But the willingness to try…

So why does it bother you so much?

I’m pretty sure the people judging “New Year, New Me” aren’t doing it out of concern. It’s really just cynicism, plain and simple. Maybe you’ve heard the phrase too many times and you now feel it’s overdone, or perhaps you’re tired of seeing people say it without actively working on themselves.

Or maybe (and just maybe) it bothers you because it’s easier to mock someone than to confront your fears. The thought of putting yourself out there, risking failure, and inviting others to witness your struggles feels too vulnerable. Maybe you’ve tried to change and it just didn’t work out for you, so instead of applauding others for their courage, it’s easier to mock them.
I get this. Sometimes, it’s hard to believe in change when we’ve struggled ourselves.

Either way, I feel if someone wants to use the new year as a chance to grow or change or try something new, why not let them? Even if they stumble. Even if they don’t succeed. The act of trying, of daring to imagine something better for yourself should be encouraged.

Choose kindness over cynicism.

We live in a world where negativity often overshadows hope. Social media can feel like a minefield of judgment, especially during the new year when everyone is reflecting on their lives. But what if we didn’t do that?

Instead of criticizing someone’s optimism, we could offer encouragement. Or at the very least, keep our judgment to ourselves. Stop tearing people down for trying to improve themselves. And who knows? Maybe that positivity will inspire you to make changes in your own life too.

New Year, New Us

This year, I’m not making grand resolutions. Instead, I’m committing to the messy, imperfect process of growth.

And if you’re doing same, whether you’re setting resolutions, working quietly on yourself, or just hoping for a better year, you’ve got this, and I’m rooting for you.

What does “New You” mean to you this year? Share it in the comments 💬.
Mention one small change you’re hoping to make this year. I’d love to cheer you on! 🫶🏾

82 Comments

  2. Kudos Tega.
    As a new year new me girl also, I’m glad for this apt description of what it actually is about.

  3. this year, i hope i can live positively everyday, that’s what i want to do differently this year, that’s my New Year, New Me🤭

  4. 💯

    We should indeed choose kindness over cynicism. Although, resolutions are short lived, no one can deny the surge or the initial motivation it gives. So, you can look back and say I was able to do this for 10 days, I can do so much more.

    Beautiful read, thank you! ❤️

  6. This is a “new year new me” kind of year, and I’m looking forward to every bit of it. Lovely work Tega ❤️

  7. New me is a better version of me but it doesn’t have to be during new year. I choose to be better everyday.

    Nice write up, kudos to you.

  10. Great read. I personally took a foot off the gas a bit this year. Needing to be faithful in some areas that I need to be faithful in, not wanting to swallow too much.

  11. ‘New me’ for me is hazy but it connotes new patterns and new ways to try old things.

    I hope to learn the bass guitar this year

      • New year, New me is actually a time to reflect on myself and see the aspects I’ve not achieved the desired result and work at it. Does not matter if some days I fail at this resolve, the goal is to still be kind to myself and keep showing up no matter how many times I fail…

        Thank you Tega❤️
        This is really awesome and I hope to read more from you🤗

  12. ‘New You’ means making certain positive changes that would move one’s life to the next level in life.It may not be a drastic change but a gradual change in the right direction.In course of trying to achieve a ‘New You’,if you fail at some point,please don’t get discouraged,keep going,you’ll get there at last.

  13. I think that a lot of times “New Year New me” has been ridiculed and that is why it has faced the backlash it is currently receiving. Most times, these phrases come with funny ideas. “New year New me” I am not the person you used to know. Ok, but are we going to see a positive you? If you are telling me there is a new you, then I would want to know what is different and there is nothing ( I am sorry but we listen and Judge 😂)

    I personally do not believe in New year New me anymore and that started as i grew older because i realized it adds this unnecessary pressure on me- it is okay to not be brand new. It is okay to still be the me i was on 30th of December.

    It is okay to not change, it is okay not have goals at the start of the year. You can have your goals mid year. Who cares, really?

    Your goals are for you, not for anyone.

    • Valid points here! Your goals are for you.
      Also, I did mention the New Me thing doesn’t necessarily mean being brand new. I guess when you think of it that way, it could reduce the pressure you’ve put on yourself.

  14. …This year, I’m not making grand resolutions. Instead, I’m committing to the messy, imperfect process of growth…

    This phrase stood out to me. Thanks Chief

  16. What does ”New You” mean to me this year?
    This year, ‘New Me’ means – choosing progress over perfection. Wanting to find joy in the little things, and enjoying the process of it all – whether good or bad.

  17. To me new year it’s a time where I believe I get to open another chapter and start a fresh
    A time I can look back at what I wasn’t able to do and kickstart

    Basically it’s a beginning of a new journey for me where I can be more

  18. I couldn’t agree more with this profound statement. Every day of the year indeed presents us with a fresh opportunity to grow, learn, and live a better life. It’s astonishing how quickly time passes, often without us even realizing it.

    One moment we’re making New Year’s resolutions, and the next, we’re wondering where the months have gone. This phenomenon is a constant reminder to make the most of each day, to seize every moment, and to strive for self improvement.

    So, let’s make a conscious effort to live each day with intention, passion, and kindness. Let’s strive to grow, to learn, and to become the best version of ourselves. As we do so, we’ll find that time may fly, but the memories, experiences, and personal growth we accumulate will stay with us forever.
    Still, Happy New Year, Happy New Us!

  20. For the past year, I didn’t have a resolution per se. I had goals and prayer points instead and looking back at the end of the year, I realized that I didn’t do badly. So that’s it for me. Setting goals and trying my darnedest to stick to them.
    New year new me? Possibly.

  21. To me new year, new me means my commitment to evolving while staying true to the values and dreams that matter most to me

    Thanks for this beautiful piece 💕💕

  22. Lovely read!! It’s interesting because this concept is here to stay. So the naysayers might as well get with the program. Lol

  23. Hmm 🤔🤔🤔
    New Me doesn’t mean too much but I can say it’s a me that needs to experience growth and progress in certain areas.
    And that’s the change I hope to experience this year ☺️.

  26. My New Year’s resolution is to embrace the principle of “Accepting what I cannot change and changing what I cannot accept”. It may seem cliché but I’ve realized that much of what I want in life ultimately revolves around this idea.

  30. Tega my baby Doctor,
    I do not actually know anything about blog & blogging. I am looking forward to be educated more on same.
    However, we have held on to the age long practice of new year new resolution & new you/me.
    This is used to take stock, review past performance & plan and set new goals for the future. Remember the cliches that those who refused to plan have planed to fail.
    So regularly planning for a better version of you is necessity.
    Thanks

  31. This year, I want to live beyond just making wishes and eventually seeing those dreams evaporate into thin air.
    It’s really hard though to stir up a ‘change’ especially a positive one, but I hope to take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way, and make the best out of it.
    “So help me God”

  33. `New Year new me’ for me is about creating a system and building a routine that can help me achieve my goals, the process matters more than the outcome, and I think paying more attention to how we want to achieve our goals is more important than anything else.

  36. 2024 was such a big learning year for me. I said a lot of “no’s” last year, and for some reason, it feels weirdly satisfying because it’s a side of me I’ve always wanted to work on. I’ve grown to the point where I don’t find new years exciting anymore, but if I decide to delve into why that is, I’d end up typing too much.

    I don’t really believe in setting goals, though I’d rather just set systems (you’d have to read Atomic Habits to understand that better sha). Good job, girl… proud of you ❤️

    • I understand the “no” thing. It’s really hard to not be the nice guy, the go-to guy. I’m happy you were able to achieve that. As to not finding new years exciting, I feel like I could guess why.
      Anyway, I wish you all the best this year! And thank you for your kind words.

  38. I’m choosing to commit to the imperfect process of growth.

    Thank you for your beautiful words 😍💕
    This was so beautiful penned!

  40. Your piece beautifully captures the spirit of growth and fresh beginnings 🤩… It feels like it mirrors my own hopes for this year. Keep inspiring us ❤️

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