Resolutions, At last!

As another year comes to an end we enter a state of reflection. The media will remind us of the Top Stories from the past 12 months as we will relive the events that made us laugh and cry. The memories of the ones chosen to leave this world will flood us once more. When we’re done with the “remember when” we will silently turn to ourselves and judge asking what we did to better our lives and those around us. And instead of concentrating on the inevitable disappointment of mediocrity we will pride ourselves on our families and their health. There is nothing wrong with celebrating life but we know there is more we can accomplish. We become inspired to better our situation and place in life. We promise we will quit whatever vice it is that grips us. We pledge to eat healthier and go to the gym to lose those pesky 15 pounds. Whatever task it is we vow to accomplish we do it with the most sincere of intensions but then that year closes and we are faced with the sad truth that we didn’t come close to realizing our resolutions.
Its not a question of positioning ourselves for disappointment or setting our goals out of reach, rather the lack of a constant reminder that renders us unsuccessful. We often find that January is the most hectic month for this reason. Our promises are fresh on our mind as we pursue our personal victories. The spin classes are overcrowded, sales for non-smoking aids spike as gambling and consumption of alcohol wane. I would like to tell you these trends continue throughout the year but I don’t want to lie to you. It seems that a meeting always pops up or its parent teacher conference or next week’s deadline got pushed up to tomorrow so we re-prioritize and our resolutions slide further down the “To-Do” list. We justify this with one phrase, life happens.
We trick ourselves into thinking its okay since we have the whole year to achieve our goals. It shouldn’t be that hard. Tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day I’ll get back on track. Sounds good enough, we mean well. Just one problem with that. There are 364 tomorrows in a year. 364 chances to either attack your goal or let it slip away. So how do we end this cycle of complaisant behavior?
I believe it was Coach Wooden who said “failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” You wouldn’t go to a sales meeting without numbers from the previous quarter the same way your kid’s teacher wouldn’t go into the classroom without a lesson plan for that week, month or even semester. We don’t value our personal lives any less than our professional lives but we seem to be a bit more organized in the latter. Well, let’s do something radical. I suggest we blur that line, bring our work organization into our everyday lives. We’ll keep the New Year’s Resolutions as big picture but break it down to weekly goals. This will keep things fresh and constantly on the forefront of your minds and almost guarantees that you’ll crush your resolution. If you aim to finish one book by the end of the year, break it down to a chapter a week. Unless the book is 53 chapters you’ll accomplish the goal. You resolve to eat better? Simply add two more servings of veggies a day. How about the gym? Instead of shooting for a loss of 10 lbs see if you can make it in at least 2 days a week.
There’s no need to intimidate yourself with a task that takes a year to conquer, instead motivate yourself with weekly or daily check points. Stick to a simple plan and always tell yourself to “make the effort.” New Year’s resolutions aren’t supposed to be chores with a deadline that prove to be embarrassments rather a positive journey with one final outcome, you feeling good about you! Happy New Year, Happy New You!