Resolution Time Again!

OH YES! It’s time to make those promises to ourselves that we won’t keep past Valentine’s Day! Time to look ourselves in the mirror and say “this year will be different”. I’ve made my fair share of those empty promises myself… each and every year - I think - “this year will be different”… but I almost always end up veering off course. This past year, though, has been one of the best ones yet. I’ve been promoted, bought a new car, and pulled myself out of a lot of debt. I’ve become more outgoing, more independent, and gone on more dates this year than I have throughout my entire lifetime. LOL. I’ve let myself grow for once. I made a lot of friends and have been more focused than I ever have been. I look back and think - wow - not one of the things I accomplished was on my “resolution list”. I don’t think I made any last year though. I believe when I rang in the year 2005 I called them “New Year’s Delusions”… because that’s what they are. A pessimistic view - perhaps - but more so a realistic view - out of all who make New Year’s Resolutions… who actually keeps them? Follows their plans and checks off the list of things they’ve set to accomplish that year? Not many, that’s for sure. People find excuses to get out of the promises they made to themselves. “There’s always next year.” “I’ll get started on that tomorrow.” “They were unrealistic resolutions anyway.” Mostly people are just lazy. They think they can remain stagnant and not improve upon themselves and everything will be ok. For some, it is… things are handed to them and they don’t have to work a day in their life. But for the rest of us, we must constantly be improving ourselves.

My New Year’s Resolution is only a one, single promise: Better myself and in that, do my best. I’ve learned that for me, making specific expectations of myself are always an inadequate way to motivate me to change. I’ve certainly shunned at putting out expectations of others. For that, I’ve almost always been disappointed. I’ve learned that expecting from others, is inviting that disappointment. If you do not expect, then if it happens, you are pleased… and if not, then you haven’t missed anything. So, this year - 2007 - when it comes time to look back and reflect on what I’ve accomplished and how I’ve grown - if I can look back and be proud at my progress, then it was a good year. I made good on my resolution… but if I have fallen more times than I was able to stand, there is always next year. :)