How are those New Year’s resolutions going?
By now, some of you have buckled down, made the decision and are already living with your newfound commitments. Some of you are going to make it a couple of months before you give up, and some of you have already thrown in the towel. Some of you were clever and gave up things, like New Year’s resolutions. I’ve flaked for so many years on mine that I just laugh now when I think about them.
A couple of years ago I decided to challenge myself to give up a word. That word was “amazing.” It’s overused and cliché. “Look at that sunset — it’s amazing!” “Did you see that new movie? It’s amazing … ” Her hair is amazing … that shirt is amazing … that new song is amazing … .
Everything is NOT amazing, so I decided to give myself one “amazing” per month. The rest of the days of the year, I flexed my vocabulary and dug down deep for synonyms like “incredible,” “superb” and (this is almost as bad) “awesome.” In fact, fewer things are as amazing as they are awesome. But I digress … .
The tradition of New Year’s resolutions started thousands of years ago with the Babylonians, according to History.com. Then came Julius Caeser, who reworked the calendar and established the month of January around 46 B.C. The month was named for the ancient two-faced Roman god, Janus, whom the Romans believed symbolically looked back to the past and forward into the future. The Romans made sacrifices to the deity with promises to behave better in the coming year.
Nearly half of Americans say they make resolutions and just 8 percent say they are successful with them. Statistically, that ain’t good. Yet for thousands of years we’ve made promises to ourselves that, frankly, we know we won’t keep. During that first dark, cold month of the year when we’re shaking off the holiday hangover, resolutions give us motivation and enthusiasm. They’re the tiny voices in our heads telling us to put down the cake, drink fewer soft drinks, and, oh goodness, hit the gym.
So now that I’ve knocked the wind from your sails and probably convinced you that it’s OK to let those resolutions slide, I’m going to stop to say I think New Year’s resolutions are good. The objective of our modern-day resolutions is self-improvement. The problem is that we often make our goals too lofty. We set them too high, and sometimes we’re just unrealistic. Maybe we should rethink the whole concept because none of us is perfect and while goals are good, there are often real challenges to them. So let me offer this: Think small and impress yourself with the great progress you’re going to make.
Do a little more. Make a difference in your life. This year, get out a little more, increase your activity. Read a little more, enjoy life a little more. If you’re already given to causes — give a little more.
Take a little less. We always hear “more is better.” But that’s not always true. If you want to lose weight, it helps to eat a little less. Just because something is free, it doesn’t mean you need more. Greed is a sin, and sometimes we’re all guilty of taking more than we should. Make a resolution to refrain from compulsory behavior.
Read a little more. It breaks my heart to hear people young and old say “I don’t like to read.” For years, the National Literacy Council has been documenting a decline in literacy. That means fewer people are reading or reading at the level they should be. We need reading skills every day! So here’s my point: You don’t have to read a 500-page book, but if you can at least read a few pages a day … well that’s good!
Make a commitment this year to do things you wouldn’t normally do. Vacation somewhere you’ve never been, try foods you never thought you would like, watch a play or movie that’s not necessarily your cup of tea. If self-improvement is the goal, don’t impede your self-improvement by doing things that are not challenging, rewarding, fun or that contribute to your success.
This new year starts with you. Use your resolutions to make a difference.
