Young People Struggling with New Year's Resolutions: How to Regain the "Power to Imagine the Future" in an Age of Anxiety

"This year, I will change." Such words fill the streets and social media during this season. However, even though it's the same "New Year," more people are finding it less exciting than before. Is it a lack of motivation? A dried-up imagination? Before jumping to conclusions, let's question the very situation we find ourselves in.

Why the New Year is likely to be a "motivation switch"

In psychology and behavioral science, "temporal landmarks" like Mondays, birthdays, and the New Year are known to help people "shelve" past failures and stagnation, making it easier to start a "new self." This is known as the **Fresh Start Effect**. Research shows that search behaviors, gym attendance, and goal commitments increase right after these landmarks. pubsonline.informs.org

So, naturally, the New Year tends to be a "tailwind for challenges." However, in reality, some people feel this tailwind as a "headwind." The article published in The Independent (reposted from The Conversation) focuses on this aspect. The Independent

When words that encourage change end up silencing people

The keyword highlighted in the article is **"change fatigue."** This refers to a state where repeated or externally imposed changes exhaust the mind, reducing the willingness to engage in new initiatives. The call to "change," which is supposed to inspire hope, can instead lead to apathy, withdrawal, or indifference. The Independent

Many people can probably relate to this feeling. At work, there are constant policy revisions and tool changes, while in life, inflation and future uncertainties gradually accumulate. Under the guise of "improvement," "updates" become the norm, with the next update arriving before the mental battery can recharge. In such cases, New Year's resolutions appear not as "positive challenges" but as "additional tasks."

Anxiety and uncertainty narrow the imagination of the future

The article further points out that younger generations are more likely to have their mental leeway eroded due to climate anxiety and political and economic instability. Importantly, the ability to imagine the future is not limitless. When people feel a strong sense of threat or lack of control, their outlook narrows, and their focus shifts from possibilities to risks and worst-case scenarios. As a result, it becomes difficult to conceive ideas like "I want to live this way this year." The Independent

In other words, the inability to change may not be due to a "lack of willpower," but rather because we are in conditions wherehope and imagination struggle to function—this is the core of the article.

It might just be that "possibility thinking" is broken

The author touches on the research theme of **possibility thinking** in psychology. In short, it's about perceiving that "something might be transformed into another form," exploring alternatives, and having the sense to act. Efforts to measure possibility thinking and related research areas (Possibility Studies) are also progressing. SAGE Journals

The key is,

• seeing opportunities

• being able to think of alternatives

• having a sense that one (or we) can act
  Only when these elements align does change become a "realistic option." If any one of them is missing, resolutions are likely to go in circles. The Independent

The article also introduces the example of teachers facing a school rebuild (relocation). Change emerges not as "exciting" but as an exhausting "starting over again." Similarly, in situations where change is constantly demanded, New Year's resolutions do not become a "reward." The Independent

So, how do we rebuild?—Stepping away from "dramatic transformations"

This is where the practical part begins. The article's proposal is clear: focus on **"small shifts" possible within constraints** rather than dramatic self-reinvention. For example, specify "walking 10 minutes every day" in terms of "when, where, and how" to incorporate it into life, and adjust weekly to fit reality. The Independent

When translating this to the Japanese lifestyle, there are three tips.

① Write down constraints first (reality before ideals)
Time, energy, finances, caregiving, and mental fluctuations. Constraints are not obstacles but design conditions. Choosing "get off one station early" over "go to the gym three times a week" is not an escape.

② Start small and leave room to grow
Aiming for the limit from the start makes it easier for those with change fatigue to break. If 10 minutes continues, increase to 15 minutes. Increasing should be a "reward."

③ Plan for failure
Illness, overtime, rain. Days will inevitably fall apart. Instead of "resetting to zero," prepare a "minimal version" (1-minute stretch, one-line diary, etc.).

Turning "personal vows" into a collective system

Another point the article emphasizes isnot making change a solo effort. Sharing responsibilities with family, workplace, or community increases feasibility and makes continuity easier. The Independent

For example, breaking down "cooking more at home" into

• menu planning

• shopping

• cooking (fixed days)

• children handle plating/washing vegetables
  . This way, it operates on "management" rather than "willpower."
  
  
  

Reactions on Social Media (※Examples based on trends, not quotes from actual posts)

Let's reconstruct how this theme is generally perceived on social media, following common narratives.

1) "I'm tired of changing" group

• "At least during the New Year, let me rest without talking about improvement or growth..."

• "New Year's resolutions tend to become 'events to blame myself.'"

• "Before goals, I need a stock of sleep and mental health."

→ Voices expressing change fatigue as "exhaustion" rather than "laziness."

2) "Do it small" realists

• "A goal like '10 minutes a day' is just right. If it continues, it's a win."

• "The biggest goal is to stop being a perfectionist."

• "Embedding it into routines is stronger than motivation."

→ Responses that align well with the article's proposal (small shifts/incorporation into life).

3) "Anxiety is too big to envision the future" group

• "The future is too uncertain to make a one-year plan."

• "Just watching the news about climate and economy is draining."

• "Before 'let's do our best,' it's 'let's protect ourselves.'"

→ A group that resonates with the point about a narrowing future outlook. The Independent

4) "Leaning towards shared goals" community group

• "Because I break down alone, we made it a family goal to 'walk together twice a week.'"

• "I want to make 'reducing overtime' a common goal for our workplace team."

• "Change becomes realistic when it can be shared."

→ The idea that "distributed responsibility" aids continuity resonates well. The Independent

5) There is also pushback: "Goals are necessary" group

• "Precisely because I'm tired, I get swept away without goals."

• "It's not that all resolutions are bad, just that the way they're set is sloppy."

→ This is also important, and the article isn't saying "abandon goals," but rather to tailor them tofit the conditions. The Independent

Summary: New Year's resolutions are about "condition design," not "proof of will"

If you're not feeling the New Year's spirit, it's not a flaw of yours. Repeated changes exhaust people, and threats and uncertainties narrow the imagination of the future. Therefore, what is needed is not "trying harder," but asmall, feasible stepand asupportive system. The Independent

For the start of 2026, set the passing line as "does it work in today's life?" rather than a flashy self-reform. Change should return as a possibility, not pressure.