Well here it is that time of year when we all resolve to do better, do more, stop doing, do differently, or something else. It’s New Year’s Resolution time. Most years I’ve listed some or all of my resolutions here and some years I’ve reported on how successful I was, or how and why I failed…
Seems like the same thing over and over – only the year changes.
The fact(s) are that of the approximately 317 million adults in the US, only one in every 2.2 makes a New Year’s resolution. Of that number 1 in 8 will possibly keep it for a year. Those that don’t stick to their resolutions usually abandon them after just about a week.
The practice of making resolutions dates back to ancient Babylon when promises for the New year were made to their gods. Those promises usually involved easily achievable tasks like vowing to return borrowed farm equipment. Today we make promises to ourselves and they’re usually psychological and/or behavioral changing in nature.
So — given this bleak set of circumstances, I have a plan. Instead of making New Year’s resolutions, I’m going to make New Month’s resolutions. Here’s why: If I tie my resolution, which is usually a behavioral change, to a specific date, and I fail early on, I’ve deprived myself of an opportunity to fail and recover (until next year.) The New Year’s resolution message to myself is that when the new year arrives, I’ll change and be different – failure means I’ll have to wait a whole year to get another shot.
I figure if I make my resolutions on a monthly basis, and fail, I only have to wait until the next month to try again. We all know that failure and recovery is part of just about any process, so not tying my resolutions to the new year, I can try again in only a few weeks when I mess up.
I’m looking forward to implementing my new methodology — I expect it’s going to catch on big-time. I won’t reveal all my resolutions just yet, but I can tell you, if I’ve borrowed any farm equipment from you, it will be returned….
Happy New Year to everyone!
— 30 —