In the last few years I’ve stopped making a New Year’s resolution.
I make enough resolutions throughout the year, that by the time New Years rolls around my biggest goal is just to stay awake until the clock strikes midnight. I especially won’t make gigantic, life-altering New Year’s resolutions. That’s a lot of pressure to put on myself and the success rate is low. I would much rather keep working on manageable goals on a more consistent basis; such as resolving (weekly) to cut sugar out of my diet and to work on my patience with my kids.
For many people, New Years is seen as a time to hit the restart button.
January 1st becomes the starting block for an attempt at a better, more-improved self. I commend those that can make a resolution for a New Year and stick to it. I also see time and time again folks who start the year off at a full-on sprint and lose steam by February-March. Like going to your usual gym the first few weeks of January; all of a sudden there’s a wait list for a piece of cardio equipment and a dozen people you’ve never seen before- you know by month’s end it will go back to the more normal, mellow place it was in December.
I actually applaud both kinds of people.
Those that can say “starting on this very specific day I will begin doing this ___” and they actually follow through with it for all twelve months of the year, that’s incredible dedication. For those that say something similar, and work really hard at it for even a short amount of time, I say, good for you for at least giving it a shot. Maybe you took on something that was incredibly scary or intimidating for you. Just making an attempt can be a huge step to one day achieving that goal. Like setting foot in a gym for the first time.
In the past, I have been successful with some my New Year’s resolutions, while others I have failed miserably at. Those that have been a success story, such as staying active and eating healthy, have been infiltrated into my life in a way that I don’t feel the need to reevaluate and make changes to them on a yearly basis. The resolutions that have fallen flat on their faces have done so because they needed more effort on my part. These are resolutions, that if I want them to come to full fruition, I need to address them at the first of each month, not just the first of the year. And it might help if I’m as focused and optimistic as one might be after a few glasses of champagne!
Throughout this past year, I have made resolutions mostly surrounding relationships. For instance, I want to be a better friend. I’d like to show and tell my family how much I appreciate them. These are resolutions that I have been working on throughout the year. I hope I can turn them into lifetime resolutions, not just 2016 resolutions. Do they seem lofty and somewhat vague? Sure.
But if I can consistently work on set, manageable goals, I think I’ll be able to not only tackle these resolutions, but build upon them.
I can also imagine these resolutions evolving over time, which will keep them fresh and new, adding to the captivation. Mostly, I am hopeful that the rewards associated with these resolutions will continue to make them very worthwhile for years to come.