I Resolve

I must admit to having a bit of a love-hate relationship with New Year's Resolutions. In all honesty, I think it tends more to the “hate” side more often than not.

The problem with New Year's Resolutions is that the VAST majority of time I am absolutely, completely, totally and utterly unable to keep them.

Even when they are not completely declared as Resolutions such as my comment to C last week stating that I was going to deprive myself of junk food for a while and see if I can shed a few pounds – that resolution lasted less than a week as the empty chip bag and candy wrappers that I hid in the bottom of the garbage prior to C’s coming over yesterday.

I think where I fail with New Year’s Resolutions is that they are generally restrictive statements – like: “I will not eat junk food”; or they are unrealistic – like “I will exercise twice daily 6 times a week” – yes, I really made that resolution one year. Both restrictive and unrealistic statements set me up for failure; restrictive resolutions make me feel I’m depriving myself of something and unrealistic ones are, well, self evident.

I know I’m not alone in setting these restrictive and unrealistic albeit well meaning resolutions. How many smokers declare at the beginning of every year that they will stop? How many people start diets in the New Year with a vow to lose the 5, 10, 20, 30 pounds they need to lose?

Why do we not set fun resolutions – like; “I resolve that I will see one movie a month” or “I resolve that I will spend more time with my friends” or “I will buy myself flowers on the 22nd of every month” or “I will do one thing I’ve always wanted to do, or go one place I’ve always wanted to go”.

But what happens if even the most pleasurable of resolutions are unattainable?

Maybe we need to stop setting New Year’s Resolutions at all; maybe setting ourselves up for potential failure is really a bad way to start a year.

So this year I will set no resolutions; I will just try to do more enjoyable things, to be healthy, maintain a balance in my life, spend more time with my friends and take a fun trip. All things I strive to do all the time regardless of the dawn of a New Year.

This is simply how I live my life – and I am resolute in that.