Every year for as long as I can remember, I’ve made a list of New Year’s Resolutions. Most of the time, the resolutions usually involve my weight. Lose 10 lbs, eat more healthy, stop drinking soda, etc. etc. And usually I am good with these resolutions until about March or April. It’s during this time that I usually fall of the wagon, stop working out, start eating a bunch of fast food, and basically revert back to my former self.
I will not put myself through that this year.
The person that I want to be, the person I resolve to be, is constantly a work in progress. I am continuously evolving, changing, growing. Resolutions tend to be items that we want to change about ourselves and not about embracing the person we already are. Which is why most of us fail at our resolutions because we are setting ourselves up for failure.
Why wait until the beginning of the year to do better at something or change a bad habit? Why not start when the habit or problem is noticed and quantified, not on a synonymous date that is more about pomp and circumstance than it is about sheer capability? With growth and evolution comes change, it’s an automatic result. So this year, I vow not to make New Year’s Resolutions.
I do, however, vow to work on things within myself that need to be changed. I would like to lose 10 to 20 pounds because diabetes runs in my family, and the extra weight could make me a candidate for this disease. I do want to eat better and gain healthier habits and eat out less so I can live a long life and be here for my children. I also want to be a good example for them. And I do want to stop drinking soda as much as I do. I want to go to church more and read my Bible more and be a better parent and significant other. I want to be a person, live honest and right. And I want to do all of this NOW, not on January 1, 2010.
I also want to be realistic when it comes to my goals. I don’t want to lose 20 pounds like I’ve been known to do in a month’s time, only to pack it on later. I want to explore long term resolutions that will impact the rest of my life and my journey.
There is nothing wrong with New Year’s Resolutions. But for me, they simply do not work. I want to try something different. Working on myself on a daily basis 365 days a year starting NOW.
What are your thoughts on New Year’ Resolutions? Do you plan on setting a list of goals for yourself for the upcoming year? Leave me some feedback and let me know what you think about this post.
loves it!
I was the same until i stopped writing a list & decided to do one thing at a time. My first was to stop biting my nails & it will be 2 years come New Years Eve.
The 2nd was to stop smoking, this took a little longer than planned but i stopped on April 6th this year and haven't had even a puff of one since.
This year it is my weight & i am kepping my fingers crossed that i do well with this too.
@Coistycat on Twitter
Good Luck with your plan, we all have different ways of doing things and finding your own way is the only way we have of success. xx
You are so correct. We do all have different ways of doing things when it comes to making changes. I am glad to see that you stopped smoking! I hope that my changes will be long term as opposed to short and sweet like usual. Thanks for commenting!
This post is quite thought provoking. I haven't made New Year's resolutions in a few years because like you, I got tired of failing. By the end of January all my resolutions would have gone out the window and I was back where I started, feeling like a quitter. So I stopped making resolutions and began making changes when the issue was noticed. I've done OK, but I still wanna loose that 30 lbs, eat healthier, etc. Good Luck with everything.
Good luck to you as well! I think change can start at any time, not just at the beginning of the year. Here's to the both of us making these changes we want for ourselves stick!
I personally attack my personal goals the same way I do my work goals. Set 3 small goals (leading to a bigger objective) at the start of each month, and review my progress every month until the goal has been met
For example, the objective "start saving" became the smaller goals "Pay off $Y of credit card debt this month" each month, then when that was done, "Pay $Z to savings each month".
That way, if I've fallen off the wagon, it gets picked up quickly and I can adapt, but I don't feel like I'm micromanaging myself. The added bonus is that I can see each small goal getting achieved which is a huge plus to my mindset.
Also, when my manager gave me my performance review monthly, it is a reminder to go home that evening and re-visit my goals.
Keeping a list of all the things I've achieved in a year is also really good when I'm feeling down.
So when it comes to new years resolutions – I say why wait 12 months to start something new?
That is wonderful Andii! You stuck to your goals which is great, something I am still trying to conquer! Kudos to you. I hope to learn from your example.