New Year Resolutions? Hate them. I’m probably in the minority here but I really don’t see the point of them! The reason I say this is because I don’t know anyone who even keeps their resolutions.
It looks like a competitive sport. Everyone seems more concerned with knowing what New Year Resolutions their friends have set than achieving their own. It’s a competition to see who has the best, more meaningful ones.
Everyone knows that these New Year Resolutions, made in haste, aren’t expected to be fulfilled past February, or March at the most. The point of the New Year Resolution is to complete the ritual rather than complete the actions!
As a Socialised Maverick – this feels like a failed execution. And one not worth repeating year after year!
So I avoid joining in the communal routine of writing down New Year Resolutions. I prefer to set myself some commitments. For me commitments are things that I will do.
No excuses.
This means, a commitment is something that should be considered and tested before agreeing to it. An agreed commitment is your bond, and your word should be your bond even if you are making a commitment with yourself.
You are important.
New Year Resolutions? Hate them. Make a commitment instead.
How to make a commitment and keep it
- Make sure that the commitment is something that you want to achieve.
- Only make worthwhile commitments, shallow commitments with no substance, ‘doesn’t do you any favours’.
- Realise that a commitment is a promise to yourself. One that you will keep. Therefore it needs to be something that you are proud to stand by, and something you would not be ashamed to share. (I’m not saying you should share, just that you should be able to without ill feeling).
- Ensure you consider what might stop you keeping the commitment and remove or mitigate the obstacles, before you start.
- Decide what accountability measures you need to stay on track.
- Do not take your commitments lightly. It’s better to make one good commitment that you can see through and reap the benefit from, than to make lots of commitments that you miss.
Remember, you are your commitments. What you choose to keep and what you fail to keep.