New Year's Resolution


_New Year's resolution_ should be - 新年の抱負

How do I say, "My New Year's Resolution is X"?

For example:

> 私の新年の抱負は気楽になります。(My New Year's resolution is to be more relaxed)

Is it correct?

Do Japanese people normally have New Year's resolutions?




Yes. Many Japanese people make New Year's resolutions. It also can be said
”新年の誓.” Many people write down their New Year's Resolution e.g. "I'll pass the
examination of Tokyo University," "I'll save ¥500,000 this year," or "I'll get
a fabulous sweetheart," on the first page of a diary. Some people write down
their resolutions on plain paper - 半紙 by using a writing brush on January 1st,
and hang it on the wall, or enshrine it on 神棚 or 仏壇, wishing the God help them
to achieve their resolutions. Alas, in reality, the New Year's Resolutions
tend to turn out to be a mere dream for most of us by year's end.

With regard to your translation - 私の新年の抱負は気楽になります - of "My New Year's
resolution is to be more relaxed," it sounds like "My New Year Solution is
Easy Going," and is a bit awkward in Japanese. I would like to suggest
"私の新年の抱負は、何事も気楽に過ごすことです", in other words, 何事があっても平静な気持ちで過ごすことです as an
alternative.

Addendum:

Hey. By the way. Time magazine (December 31) carried a very interesting
article about how to make your New Year's Resolution come to true under the
title, “Here’s the Secret to Sticking to Your New Year’s Resolutions,” in
which Tory Higgins, a professor of psychology and business at Columbia
University gives you a trick for thinking about your resolutions that will
make you more likely to keep them. I recommend you take a look at it -
<http://time.com/4160254/new-year-resolution-success/?xid=homepage>.




Yes. Many Japanese people make New Year's resolutions. It also can be said
”新年の誓.” Many people write down their New Year's Resolution e.g. "I'll pass the
examination of Tokyo University," "I'll save ¥500,000 this year," or "I'll get
a fabulous sweetheart," on the first page of a diary. Some people write down
their resolutions on plain paper - 半紙 by using a writing brush on January 1st,
and hang it on the wall, or enshrine it on 神棚 or 仏壇, wishing the God help them
to achieve their resolutions. Alas, in reality, the New Year's Resolutions
tend to turn out to be a mere dream for most of us by year's end.

With regard to your translation - 私の新年の抱負は気楽になります - of "My New Year's
resolution is to be more relaxed," it sounds like "My New Year Solution is
Easy Going," and is a bit awkward in Japanese. I would like to suggest
"私の新年の抱負は、何事も気楽に過ごすことです", in other words, 何事があっても平静な気持ちで過ごすことです as an
alternative.

Addendum:

Hey. By the way. Time magazine (December 31) carried a very interesting
article about how to make your New Year's Resolution come to true under the
title, “Here’s the Secret to Sticking to Your New Year’s Resolutions,” in
which Tory Higgins, a professor of psychology and business at Columbia
University gives you a trick for thinking about your resolutions that will
make you more likely to keep them. I recommend you take a look at it -
<http://time.com/4160254/new-year-resolution-success/?xid=homepage>.

