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New
Year's Musings
by Lynn Cutts
My New Year's Resolution:
No More Resolutions
This year, my New
Year's Resolution is to not make one.
Why?
Because New Year's Resolutions
are dangerous.
Let's face it:
we make our New Year's Resolutions as part of a seasonal tradition,
instead of out of any real desire to change, and as a result, they
are about as successful as another New Year's tradition: eating black-eyed
peas to bring good luck. We don't really care about changing our habits
or starting a new exercise or diet program. We are not committed to
or motivated by the resolutions we make. The result: within six weeks,
we're back to our old ways.
And this is where
the danger lies. By making a resolution and then not keeping it, we've
hurt ourselves. We start to believe that we just can't change our
habits, lose weight, or stick to an exercise program. Then the next
time we want to make a change in our lives, there's this little voice
saying "You won't succeed this time, either." And a little bit of
our self-esteem and self-respect has been chipped away.
Why
Does This Happen?
New Year's Resolutions,
while well meant, are often unrealistic, non-specific, and have no
time boundaries. They don't include a plan to make it happen. For
example, a common resolution is to lose weight. But how much? By when?
And what are we going do to get that weight off? Without answers to
these questions, our efforts are ultimately doomed to failure.
The
Solution:
It's simple. Don't
make New Year's Resolutions at all. You'll save yourself time and
energy and discouragement. Accept who you are, until you are ready
to make a change and make it permanent.
When
you're ready for that change, take some time to set some specific
and realistic goals, with deadlines. Then figure out exactly how
you will accomplish those goals. The end result will be a plan that
you can stick to, and a change that will last. Not only will you
achieve your goals, but you'll feel confident that you can change
your life.
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