What I enjoy about this time of year is the sense of renewal projected by people around me. December snow and cold brings, well, January snow and cold, but people everywhere take January first as a new beginning. Resolutions! To-do lists! New ways to get things done!
As my wife just mentioned, we don’t do New Year’s resolutions. Not that we have an inflated view of ourselves, but it’s really no use to try to reinvent the wheel wholesale every January 1st. I personally make birthday resolutions; things I want to get done by the time I officially turn a year older. Hopefully, I’m not at apoint where I feel as if I need to make wholesale changes in my life; hell, a 200 ton ship doesn’t just turn on a dime, and neither can 30+ years of a unique brand of thinking and behavior.
What I just hope for these folk doing New Year’s resolutions is that they keep at it. I’ve resolved to be a more positive person, and have nine more months of trying to do that. A lot of people have energy right now; I just wish that it keeps up the entire year. A goal completed is a cause for celebration and a testament to sticking to things.
Long live the spirit of reinvention, and if we ever stop trying to improve ourselves or even think that we’re just fine as we are, then we’re doing no one any favors, especially ourselves.
I hear you on the resolution bit. My resolutions are more like guidelines or suggestions of better conduct and habits.
I love the idea of birthday “resolutions”. FWIW, I don’t do resolutions anymore, I do goals. If I fall down, a goal is still attainable by getting up & starting over. Resolution doesn’t seem to be so forgiving, and who couldn’t use a little more forgiveness in their lives.
Indeed. Both of you point out both the need and awareness to get better, do better, be better, but without the self-hate and extreme remorse that shows up whenever things don’t quite work out. Getting back on the horse seems a lot easier when things are goals rather than resolutions that don’t seem to be coming true by March or so.