New Year’s Eve is not one of my favorite holidays – though I appreciate the sentiment of, “out with the old, in with the new.” There was plenty about 2012 that I’m more than happy to leave behind.
In the days following New Year’s, I really dislike all the “loose weight” and “organize your life” messages that permeate newspapers, magazines, tv shows, and my Facebook wall. In short, I dislike New Year’s resolutions. It’s a recipe for failure.
I feel about resolutions the way I feel about being thankful on Thanksgiving – I don’t need one time of the year to do this because I do it all year long. If there’s something I want to accomplish in my life, I make the decision, and I do it. There’s no need to make it a special occasion. Perhaps there are some that believe that if they say it out loud then it will increase the likelihood that it will happen – that somehow they will be accountable because they made a promise.
The reason why I feel that New Year’s resolutions are a recipe for failure is because the new year always holds so much promise. If something does not work out how it’s supposed to, it’s easy to just give up and throw in the towel. After all, it was just a promise made for the new year. That’s a lot of pressure to maintain for an entire year.
For me, I’d rather chip away at things – a little bit at a time. If I hit a goal or milestone, that’s fabulous! In most everything, I look for progress, not perfection. It’s a happier way for me to live.
Would I like to be thinner, yes. Would I love a perfectly organized home, yes. However, life is uncertain and we all have curveballs thrown our way. I choose to roll with the punches and enjoy the life that’s been given to me. No need to make a promise at the start of a year to do that.
I wrote almost this exact same post (though longer!) last Friday. Could not agree more. Glad I am not the only one!
Nicely done Ashley! I just checked out your post.
Brevity is the soul of wit!