Resolutions

My post yesterday got me to thinking about resolutions in general. Not for the first time, mind you, but there it is, floating around in my mind, so I thought I'd share. Aren't you lucky?

I know there are those who are against resolutions. Reasons vary. Some say that resolutions never stick anyway, so why bother? To this, I say, is it better to never try to improve yourself or to at least give it some consideration and try it out, even if it's only for a few months/weeks/days? How are you going to improve yourself if you're not willing to ever even think about it? A small step may take at some point, leading to bigger steps.

Some people say that you should lead a considered life all year, not just at New Year's when everyone else is. Sure. Yeah. That's true. However, what's wrong with having a time of year that you give it extra thought? A time of year that you specifically are going to think about if there are any changes you need to make and what those may be? I dunno. Seems like that is a good plan, even if you also think about changes at other times, as the need arises.

So, I'm a fan of resolutions. Even if they kind of suck, i.e. "I will eat better." I mean, what does that mean? But, at least the person is thinking about it and recognizing a change should be made. That's a step, so, even if they don't follow through, it's still positive.

What makes a good resolution? It should be definable with goals to be met and it should be public. Otherwise, there's no one to know if you just give it up. That helps you to be accountable. Rather than, "I will eat better," one might say, "I will follow the Weight Watcher's plan for this whole year," (I think the core plan is a reasonably well thought out plan, personally, although I also see room for improvement.) "I will eat at least one fruit every day," "I will read Eat to Live and follow the six week plan outlined," "I will not order french fries with my daily double cheeseburger."

You know, whatever works for you. Where ever along the continuum you are. Whatever your goal it. State it clearly and tell people about it. If you have kids, they will do their best to keep you in line. "Mom! You can't eat those fries!!!!"

This works for anything, not just food. Think about where you can make a positive change, but don't try to do too many. One to three (smaller) goals is enough. Otherwise, you'll have a hard time sticking to all of them.

Are you lonely? Try volunteering. Your library/animal shelter/school needs you and you'll meet people.

Need to exercise? Commit to a 10 minute walk a day 5 days a week all year. It's a small do-able step.

Have you been yelling at your kids a lot? Plan to read one parenting book every two months to help get tools for coping. Join a support group. Swear that at least once a day you'll count to 10 before you speak when you're mad.

Of course, all of this is just my humble opinion on the subject. Take what you can use and forget the rest. I'm certainly not perfect. Try as I might, I never was able to get a handle on Max. I do try, though, and once a year, I truly consider resolution and decide if there is a step I should take. I think that's a good thing.