You made them, right? And you know you’ll be breaking them,
most of you, anyway. And even those who keep them, may not keep all of them. We’re
talking resolutions, right?
Roughly half of us will make New Year’s Resolutions. Of that
group, about 8% will keep working on them. Not many folks walking around doing their
resolutions to make you feel guilty! In fact, in a set of 100 friends, you
might have three or four who hang in.
Why do we give up on resolutions?
I believe one reason resolutions are so hard to keep is at
the top of this post. These are just words we want to translate to transformation.
However, they’re like trying on an itchy new sweater. It just feels weird on
your body. What feels comfortable to you are your old clothes. Well-worn, tried
and true. Like the unhealthful eating habits you’re trying to replace with more
healthful ones, the new habits aren’t yet habits. They’re ideas on papers. It
takes work to make an idea into a habit.
Another reason resolutions
are hard to keep, it occurred to me, is that there is so much baggage
associated with the term “resolutions” (and past failures to follow through). Perhaps
if we went back to a root word, we’d have more success. “I resolve to . . .”
The word resolve means to decide firmly on a course of action. Whereas “resolution”
(a noun) means the same thing, it just sounds wimpier (to me) than the verb “resolve.”
Resolve sounds like a solution for an issue.
What do you really
want in life?
So why do it? Why engage in the ritual of making
resolutions? What do you really want in life? Reflect on each part of you and
think what you need. What you want. But instead of making a list of resolutions
to break, try this.
Hop on the one-word bandwagon. I’ve written about this in
the past. You pick one word to focus each part of your life on—physical,
emotional, and mental—and post the word where you see it every day.
I’ve been doing the one-word thing for a few years now, and
I like it LOTS better than resolutions. My word this year is momentum. For exercising, which I hate,
keep up the momentum. For writing and submitting to contests. Keep up the
momentum. In relationships, keep up the momentum. In losing weight, keep up . .
. well, you get the idea. One word to bind them all. Hmm. Why does that ring a
bell?
I wrote a post on another blog about challenging yourself
this year in your writing. Use your one word to spur you on. Check out The Year of Writing Dangerously
In case you’re interested in reading more about the making
and breaking of resolutions and why we even do them, I’ve assembled a
collection of posts to read below.
Did you find this an interesting post? If so, please share
with others.
Facebook:
Resolutions, schmesolutions! Improve your life the easier one-word way instead
of making resolutions you’ll break. http://bit.ly/2DIIgSf
Twitter:
#NewYearsResolutions are so last century! Check out this alternative AND be
more successful with the changes you want to see. Join the #oneword movement http://bit.ly/2DIIgSf
Resources on New Year’s
Resolutions:
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/latest-news/article188766114.html
https://www.livescience.com/42255-history-of-new-years-resolutions.html
https://www.livescience.com/42255-history-of-new-years-resolutions.html
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/why-actress-danielle-brooks-doesn-140000642.html
https://answers.search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=AwrTHRAOJCxa1AkAIgxXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTExbGtvMmJiBGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDVUlDMV8xBHNlYwNzYw--?p=why+make+new+year%27s+resolutions&fr=tightropetb
https://www.christianpost.com/voice/four-reasons-why-we-fail-in-keeping-our-new-years-resolutions.html
https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays-other/why-make-new-years-resolutions.htm
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