If you’re making some New Year’s resolutions for 2025, please remember that your body isn’t broken. You don’t need to fix it.
I’m all for feeling your best, for striving for good health and for living your best life, but somehow we’ve been misled into thinking that any of those goals depend on the size of your body. The diet industry and social media have convinced us that shrinking your body into a specific shape – or meeting a certain number on a scale – will bring you that happiness you’ve been chasing. I promise you, it won’t… at least not for long.
I chased that happiness for decades, convinced that being thin would solve my problems and that losing weight would make me feel great in my skin, but fear set in quickly. How do I keep the weight off, is that person thinner than me, is my nose too wide, how do I get a flat stomach? In my 40s, I finally learned that fulfillment, health and happiness don’t come from your body size, but from relationships, love, curiosity and doing things that make you feel good inside.
In that spirit, here are 5 New Year’s resolutions you can make that have nothing to do with the size of your body:
- Do Something That Scares You: Whether that’s asking for a raise, conquering a fear of snakes or speaking in front of a group, step outside of your comfort zone and say yes to something you’d usually say no to. Show yourself what you’re capable of!
- Make a New Friend: There are few things better than finding your people, the ones who make it easy to be yourself, to vent about life and share stories about childhood. There are so many people out there waiting to know you. If you meet someone you like being around, reach out and invite them to lunch or for a walk. Your new favorite person is waiting for you!
- Learn Something New: In this digital age, there are millions of online classes just waiting to fill you with knowledge. I just finished a Masterclass on writing, and I’m ready to start a new project from what I learned. But you don’t have to take a class, you can pick up a book, listen to a podcast, buy a language guide, or find a mentor. Just think about something you’ve always wanted to know and devote a little time to it. You’ll never be sorry for learning about the world.
- Give Back – Put Something Good into The Universe: Think about the causes that really touch your heart, and then reach out to an organization that supports it. There are so many things I care about, especially eating disorders awareness. But as the sibling of a disabled man, I also care deeply about job opportunities for disabled adults. I reached out to a bakery that employs autistic adults, and we agreed to collaborate in the new year, to raise awareness for their cause. Even though we haven’t started yet, I already feel so good.
- Love Yourself More: Don’t skip this one, it might be the most important resolution you make. Remember, this is not a dress rehearsal. There is only one you and there is only one life. Love yourself, your beautiful body that carries you through the world, your kindness that brings comfort to others, your curiosity that makes life interesting. When you start to truly love yourself, you can stop chasing happiness because you’ll realize that you’ve already found it.
Cheers to 2025! xo
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Jackie Goldschneider is a star of the Bravo hit TV show The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Before joining the show in 2018, Jackie was an attorney and freelance journalist. Her writing has appeared in Good Housekeeping, HuffPost, and Scary Mommy, among others. The Weight of Beautiful is her debut book-length work. Jackie graduated magna cum laude from Boston University and received her Juris Doctorate from Fordham University School of Law before practicing law in New York City. She now lives in New Jersey with her husband and their children.
