For over 2000 years, people of all nations and ages have sat down in late December to make resolutions for what they’re going to accomplish or change in the following year.
If you’re one of the millions still half-heartedly creating lackluster or unattainable goals for yourself starting January 1st, do yourself a favor and stop.
Before you run amok overpopulating gyms and coffee shops in an effort to finally shed those pesky pounds or start that book you’ve always wanted to write, take a step back, think, and come to terms with yourself.
“Is this really something that’s important to me? If it’s so important why haven’t I done it before? What about the turn of the year makes any difference? Why should I wait another day? Should I wait until later in the year? Why should I bother?”
Is what you’re planning to do actually important to you? I truly hope so. If you answered “yes,” then what’s stopping you from starting today? Sure there’s a fun boost of momentum from jumping on the traditional bandwagon, but if that’s the only reason you’re setting out on this escapade, you’re doomed to crash and burn. I don’t mean that you’ll fail, necessarily. But whenever a goal is made by emotion, it is inevitably going to fall apart. Emotions are wonderful, but fickle. Why set a meaningful goal on a fickle foundation? Once your emotions change, so will your motivation. If the only reason you’re beginning your New Year’s Resolution is for the sake of tradition, you’re going to waste your January on something that does not matter to you.
Either make it a priority, or don’t do it.
If what you’ve set out to do is in fact a priority, something that genuinely matters to you, then why wait another day? Maybe you’re extremely busy running around during these holidays and haven’t had time to set pen to paper, so to speak. But you’re always going to be busy, assuming you’re a typical person, so what significance does January 1st have over November 17th or May 8th?
If it’s truly important to you, don’t wait.
I understand the fun in making New Year’s Resolutions. I do. I also understand the thrill in accomplishing goals, whether they be small or bucket-list items. Ultimately, if something is important to you to create, finish, or accomplish, go ahead and take the first step towards making it happen. A few weeks worth of a fad is a sad reason not to follow through on a could-be life-changer simply because your emotions changed.
Sure, life will get in the way of any plans you make. Very rarely does anything go very smoothly. But if you’re going to take the effort to start something, you’ll be so much happier to finish it, or at least to see it through to the end.
Rather than end January with, “well, at least I tried,” finish your resolution joyfully with, “what’s next?”
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Kenneth D. Burke
I agree with you about making resolutions. I find myself saying things that I’m going to do but never actually follow through or finish. It’s really all about discipline, you can’t just say you want a good habit and then have it. You have to work at it.
I think everyone desires self-improvement, and the beginning and end of a year is a nice bookend on self-improvement. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting to change something about yourself, but thinking the year is going to save you from fatness or illiteracy isn’t a good way to look at it. It’s really up to you, and if you weren’t taking care of yourself previously, you’re probably going to have trouble watching what you eat after the New Year.
I think if people were more specific and smaller with their goals other than just wanting to lose weight it works out a lot better. It would be better to say “I’m going to walk around the neighborhood every afternoon after work” instead of just saying I’m going lose 30 pounds. Disciplining yourself is a step by step process. (The weight goal is a common example so I used that one) If you want to write a book, write a page of something every morning when you get up, don’t just run before you can walk and write a novel on January 2nd.
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