Why resolutions are more fun as Halloween costumes
I suppose you could even pick the sexy nurse
Hi! My name is Bree, and I write about how to have better days at work (and in life). Subscribe for writing on everything from building cozy teams to living a Portfolio Life. You’ll also be the first to know about book launch events and giveaways—Today Was Fun will hit bookstores July 2025!
I know it’s in vogue to eschew resolutions as delusional plans that ultimately make us feel like shit when we fail. But in my estimation, if we’re using resolutions that way, it’s user error.
I’m way into resolutions and I’ll tell you why.
Life is more fun if you lean into what the season is good for. This is true for seasons of life, as in your 20s are good for making mistakes, being poor, and dating ridiculous people. If you lean into that, instead of fretting about not having a partner and a mortgage, life gets really fun. This is also true for seasons of the year. I love to let summer be sweaty. Let autumn be cozy. And let New Years be rejuvenating. New Years has a free built in motivational boost just waiting to be leveraged. New Year, New You may sound like a phrase spanning the cover of Cosmo magazine, but it’s also a real opportunity.
Doing something forever is not the measure of success. It’s not a failure if you stop doing your resolution. Unfortunately, our culture has a weird relationship with quitting. We assume closing a business means it failed, as opposed to it serving some good for a moment in time (Exhibit A: Lauren Currie’s moment-in-time coffee truck business). I think about my daughter’s swimming career: if she doesn’t get a scholarship or make it to the Olympics is that a failure? No! She already banked the wins—the health, the friendships, the lessons, the fun. Similarly, not keeping a resolution from Jan 1 through eternity does not make it a failed resolution. Getting to experience the resolution—for as long as you do it—is already a win.
Resolutions are like Halloween costumes for your identity. It’s an opportunity to dress up as a different kind of person and walk around in those shoes for a while. Maybe you want to dress up like the kind of person who reads professional articles every morning or meditates before bed. With your resolution you’re asking yourself: “What does it feel like to be this person? Do I like this version of me? What makes it hard? What makes it easier?” I once tried being the kind of person who exercised at 6am. Was this for me? No! But it was kind of fun to try it on for a while. (Even more fun to take it off…)
We can think of resolutions as invitations for play and reinvention—not just strict goals and binary results. They can be fun!
Who do you want to be?
Next I’ll write about my two resolutions—Grandpa Mornings & Bacteria Fitness. I’d love to hear about yours.
Well shoot, I've been anti-resolution for a few years and once again you have me reconsidering things. I love the reframe as seeing it as an opportunity for play and trying out new versions of yourself. Big fan of you, always!