Keeping Those New Year's Resolutions
Ah, New Year’s: a fresh start, a clean slate, and a time traditionally marked by insurmountable New Year’s Resolutions. That list made once the champagne hangover has passed, and the allure of 364 new days pregnant with possibility beckon our imaginations.
To fantasize about changing oneself for the better always holds promise (like losing that holiday pudge), as do lofty aspirations like world travel or writing that great American novel. For most however, the list of New Year’s resolutions rarely materialize, fading away into the routine, laziness, and stress of another year of hustle and bustle.
So then you may ask, how does fantasy become reality? It is very simple, but just think about and detail your list more carefully. First, start with things that you could actually achieve. If you have always wanted to lose weight, shoot for losing five pounds instead of twenty; you’ll feel better once you make your goal and may actually keep progressing naturally towards better weight management. If you want to write a novel, start with short stories or character sketches. Whatever you want to achieve, cultivate the habit of change by starting small.
Second, choose goals or resolutions that truly resonate with who you want to become. Often times, the fantasy of New Year’s resolutions encourages us to craft entirely new images of ourselves that have little bearing on who we actually are as people, and thus those resolutions are that much easier to abandon. Don’t resolve to cycle ten miles a day if you don’t even know how to ride a bike. Instead, start with just learning how to ride that bike!
Third, detail your list of New Year’s resolutions with steps to achieving those goals. Sometimes, even the small goals you set seem insurmountable without a battle plan to make them happen. If you want to travel, create your fantasy itinerary, research the trip and travel deals, and create a budget to make you dreams a reality. Don’t just resolve to travel and keep it as a castle in the air.
If you follow these simple tips, you might actually keep your New Year’s goals, and be ready to start yet another year prepped for change and self-fulfillment.
--Matthew Krajewski
