Making New Year’s resolutions is like making promises – to yourself or to a higher power – that you rarely, if ever, keep. No one likes a promise-breaker. It’s comparable to lying.
The practice of making resolutions dates back to ancient times, when promises were made to gods for realistic, achievable tasks like vowing to return borrowed farm equipment. When is the last time you heard a friend say he planned to return the tractor he borrowed — or even a Dustbuster — in the New Year? Nowadays promises are made to ourselves and are primarily psychological in nature. No one is looking over our shoulder to make sure we keep those promises, just as no one is ever going to be fully capable of forcing us to tell the truth.
Experts say it’s important to set practical goals, rather than lofty ones, so that real change can occur. In the politics of life, it’s the moderate resolutions that may actually make a difference. Approximately fifty percent of people make New Year’s promises, and some ninety percent of those people ultimately fail at keeping them. The reason for this is that people unfortunately confuse the notion of making resolutions with a sort of mature version of a letter to Santa. In other words, don’t ask for the fantasy, rare Lionel train set when you can really only afford a plastic Thomas and Friends version.
A common New Year’s resolution in the United States is to lose weight. Not a bad goal to have if one is significantly overweight, but be realistic about the amount of weight you will actually be able to lose and the steps you are willing to take to ensure the weight loss is possible. Generalizing is a step toward certain failure. Want to get in shape? What does that mean for you and your body?
A lot of Americans also tend to say they want to spend less or save more. (By the way, a legitimate resolution is not to “win the lottery,” though perhaps it could be to “play the lottery,” should you have extra money to throw away.) Again, saving money is a great idea in theory, but if you don’t change your actual habits in thoughtful and strategic ways, the money won’t magically appear in your banking account.
We thought we’d share with you our list of 100% -doable, mostly easy, and better for everybody New Year’s resolutions. They’re not merely suggestions; they’re also genuine goals we’re making for ourselves here at The Forum. Let us know how you fare with them.
- Take care of yourself. This includes eating better, getting fresh air sometimes, and clocking in enough sleep. We don’t smoke, but if we did, we’d definitely tell ourselves to quit in the New Year. We know it can be a big challenge, but if you’re not going to do it for yourself, do it for someone you love.
- Think before you speak.
- Make an effort with co-workers, particularly those who are personality-challenged.
- Get control of your debt. If you can’t do it on your own, get help.
- Let go of the little things. Choose your battles. Focus on reasons to be happy rather than looking for excuses to be grumpy.
- Lower your expectations of others so that you can be pleasantly surprised when they behave like decent human beings.
- Do something that makes you nervous once in a while – whether it’s simply trying a new food, playing a board game you know you’ll be bad at, or visiting someplace you’re unfamiliar with.
- If you’ve got extra, give.
- If you don’t have enough, ask.
- Reconnect with old friends.
- Respect people, regardless of their different culture or station in life, before you judge them. Try to listen more. Don’t be late; that’s disrespectful, too.
- Kiss and hug your children more often. It is impossible to spoil a child with too much affection. Pay attention to them a little more, too. You might see things in a less cynical light.
Good luck with your resolutions, whatever they may be, and Happy New Year from all of us at The Forum.
