I Promise This Year…

There has never been a resolution I couldn’t keep because I don’t make them.

 

Many people make resolutions at the beginning of each New Year. The beauty of resolutions is they don’t cost a thing and can be humble or extravagantly wild. A resolution is a promise or challenge of willpower. Only you know if it’s a heartfelt resolution, a fake pledge, or just an attention grabber at a gathering.

 

At a recent New Year’s Eve house party, the host declared he was going to walk two miles every day for the rest of the year.

 

Not to be outdone, another guest chirped she was going to give up all sweets for the entire year except on federal holidays, holy days, Sundays, and maybe Groundhogs Day.

 

Resolutions don’t require contracts, membership dues, or payments. Nor do they lose their value. Hey, if you’re frugal, that’s a win.

 

A negative spin on promises can also be a win. Such as to say, “I resolve not to be hard on myself for mistakes” or “I promise not to be a sore loser at Mahjong this year” or “I will not wear plaid this year.” That last one was especially easy for me.

 

The beauty of resolutions is wiping the slate clean, making a fresh start, and setting an intention for positive personal change. They’re also freeing, opening us up to see new possibilities for day-to-day living, opportunities for personal reinvention, and paths to rejuvenation of our minds.

 

What are some of your resolutions? Will you keep them, will you try? If you’d like to, try beginning small. A common pitfall happens when we make a commitment to doing something that will be difficult to keep. How about rather than “I will,” declare“I hope to.” The New Year can be full of hope for a better you one day at a time.

 

This year, when you finish a 5K walk, complete a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle, or tackle a cluttered closet, you will have started at the beginning and progressed one step at a time. That 5k, for example, started with lacing up, stretching, and heading out day after day. Eventually, you know you’re ready for the big day.

 

The puzzle is more forgiving. Working on it for a few minutes a day, or an hour every few days, or any amount of time/frequency will continue to move you toward the finished picture.

 

If you’re considering a resolution that you’d really like to keep, give thought to what might realistically work for you. Will you be able to make the time? Stay with it? Will the proposition continue to hold your interest? The more you can check the boxes that match up with your personality and lifestyle, the better the chance of reaching your goal.

 

Resolutions are free. They may not be on the stock exchange, but wow, the dividends of a happier, brighter outlook are a sweet payoff.

 

Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one single step.”

 

How about it? Try that first step. Go for it!

 

Joan B. Reid is the author of Joyful Passage: A Woman’s Path to Retirement.