New Year’s seems to be the rare time we hear the word “resolution,” but we make and break them daily. Learn how resolutions should act.
A new year has come, reviving the cheerful hum of New Year’s resolutions once again. I have always enjoyed making New Year’s resolutions because setting goals and writing them down with a fresh new start makes my visions more tangible. But my enjoyment and practice of goal making didn’t start with New Year’s. As I think about my goals for the New Year, I realize that all of them have nothing to do with the New Year but with what I have long seen in myself. These resolutions are simply an outgrowth of the continuous self-examination I always try to practice. Hence my solutions are of much greater significance than a passing thought during New Year’s Eve parties or a suggested one I read on the Internet.
See how others see changing their lives this year. Still, instead of giving you the “Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions,” I suggest thinking about how you might want to choose resolutions and how you can view those choices for the new year and beyond.
Redefining
A “strong decision to do or not do anything” is a “resolution.” Unfortunately, with the high failure rate of New Year’s resolutions, the word’s original definition is now a joke.
People don’t have to make firm decisions about what to do or not do on New Year’s Day. It may be better NOT to make them during that time at all. This is a great tradition. Making goals to enact positive change is good, yet they shouldn’t come out of anywhere.
You will not achieve your goals if, deep down, they are unimportant to you. For example, “reduce weight.” It would be nice to “get organized,” and it would be nice to “fall in love,” but the question now is, why now and why you? What is your motivation for change? A new calendar year? Shouldn’t changes be more than seasonal bragging rights? Shouldn’t they be made because you have come to a point when you recognize that you need to change for your well-being?
Take Time to Reflect
It requires some deep self-examination. One will make goals deeply connected to who they are if they take the time to recall what is most important in life. So take a step back from the noisemakers and champagne to find some time to deeply reflect on where you are in your life: where you have been, where you are going, or where you hope to be. Then, daily, weekly, monthly, or annual resolutions may be set.
Doing this every week is even more beneficial. Taking some downtime for yourself after the busy work week is essential for our mental, physical and spiritual health. Consider who you are, your life, and your goals. How can you use your daily time more wisely to achieve those goals? The more self-aware we are, the more daily tasks we must perform a higher plan and purpose for our life.
Many people choose to quit a disgusting habit for the New Year, such as smoking. So, January 1st rolls around, and they decide, that’s it, I’ve quit smoking for good? One needs to ask, what has kept them from leaving the habit before? How did they start? Reflection of this nature takes the psychological and motivational factors into account. Once we target these, we may develop many smaller resolutions to heal the mind barriers or distractions holding us back.
What’s Most Important?
While reflecting on our most cherished goals, we may find that having more “stuff” or doing more “things” is an unfulfilling goal. So instead of overthinking revamping your wardrobe, how about updating your human relationships and quality of life? For example, think about how you treat others. Are you respectful, patient, kind, angry, superficial, or arrogant? So often, the “little” things, like how we conduct ourselves, become the “big” things and even keep us from achieving those resolutions.
Concluding the Matter
Make sure your resolution holds significance to you beyond the calendar. New Year’s Day is certainly not a sufficient motivation. Look at the big picture, and be true to your values. It would be better to make no New Year’s resolution than to make one you would never achieve because you read it off the Internet. One of my “resolutions” is to make non-New year’s resolutions for the record.
