New Year’s Resolution Or Not?
By villageanne
@villageanne (8553)
United States
January 29, 2007 2:53pm CST
New Year’s Resolution Or Not?
We have all heard the New Year’s resolutions before. I’m going to loose weight…I am going to exercise more….I am going to get out of debt, etc. People will make a New Year’s resolution but after a few weeks or a month they forget it. Once we forget to do it for a few days, it is hard to start it again. It is for this reason that I do not make New Year’s resolutions. I never have. I have seen too many people get aggravated at themselves for not keeping the ones they make. Often to the point of depression.
I have set a standard for myself. One by which I keeps tab on every day. I keep a daily journal. I write my accomplishments, goals and my short comings each night before I go to sleep. I have found that by doing this simple task, I can monitor my progress in life. When I have had a bad day, that gets wrote down, as well as a good day. I write my feelings and my trials along with the wonderful things that occur in my daily life. It is by doing this that I have grown. I often go back and read previous writings. By doing this, I can see how much I have grown and progressed in various areas in my life. I can see the close knit relationship between my family and myself. I can see my goals in life being met. I can also see other goals in my life not being met. It is by reading these past entries that I set a new goal to do better in a particular area.
I have made a list of questions that I use to evaluate myself the first of each month. I wrote this list on page 5 of my Journal. By evaluating myself, I can see where I am doing better and where I still need to improve. I use the same list for the entire year. I have some pretty tough questions that I use. I am not easy on myself. I do not setting goals that are not attainable. I know that if I work hard I can attain the goals that I have set for myself On page 1 of my journal, I write information about myself , my husband and both our daughters. Then on page 2, 3 and 4 I tape pictures of my family. These pictures remind me why I am setting goals and why they are important to me. I want my family to one day be proud of who I was. I want my Great, great grandchildren to know who I was, to know that I had trials and that I worked hard to overcome them.
I have a lot of medical problems and I am not going to give into them. I will fight till the bitter end. As determined as I am, I may just win. If I had listened to the Doctor’s, I would have been dead years ago. They told me that I would never be able to walk right again. Today, I walk as well as anyone else. I was told that I would never lead a normal life again and again I told them I would. I will not give up nor will I quit the fight to live the kind of life that I want.
One of my goals that I have had for years is “I want to be better tomorrow than I was today”. To some, this may be a New Years resolution but I opt to think of it as a goal in life. A goal that I do intend to reach.
Did you make a new years resolution? How are you doing at keeping it?
11 people like this
57 responses
@shywolf (4514)
• United States
29 Jan 07
I personally don't like making New Year's resolutions because I know that I probably won't keep them. *laugh* I think that your resolutions are amazing, and I wish you all the best for 2007! ^_^
Resolution or not, I _have_ determined to do what I can and work hard towards becoming less shy this year. I put some things into motion around the end of last year, and in some senses I've progressed a lot. But for the most part, I feel like I'm getting nowhere quickly, and it's really hard, and there are days and times where I feel like it will never be possible for me to really change, because I let myself sink so far into isolation and do not know how to start really speaking out in public. I was never good at it, and now I am really at a loss as for how to even get myself started. But I am trying, and that is my goal for this year. ^_^
2 people like this
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
29 Jan 07
I have never been shy in my life. LOL My husband is though. He is getting over it alot in the past 10 years. You dont seem too shy on mylot. I feel as though I know you.
@Willowlady (10658)
• United States
29 Jan 07
Mine was just cutting out most pop and most bread. Those were two things I enjoyed too much of during the holiday season so I decided that the New Year was a good time to start anew with my diet. These were the easiest and more immediate things that would give me results. Should last to spring and so far so good. Spring is only a couple of months away!!
2 people like this
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
29 Jan 07
Please dont take away my bread! LOL I make alot of homemade bread, it smells so yummy. Keep up the good work on your goals. It has been so cold and snowy here that it feels like spring will never come..
@Christianbooks (5)
• Australia
30 Jan 07
Yes, I agree. I believe that if someone wants to make changes in their lives, it can be done at any time of the year. Remember, TODAY is the first day of the rest of your life - NOT January 1st. In my experience, new year resolutions are not taken as seriously as a decision to change at any other time of the year. Mind you, I LOVE the idea of the evening journal - I do a similar thing for business related goal, successes and challenges, but now I think I'll add my personal life to it too!
God bless.
@sweetlady10 (3611)
• United States
29 Jan 07
This is very true. People only talk about new year resolution on the month of Decembar. Once they pass the January all forget about the resolution.
I think you don't need a new year to come to the things to be done in your life. At any time of the year you can start working on your weight loosing programe or debt free programe. So, just be prompt and start working on your problem right way. And most importantly just stick to it whatever you want to do.
2 people like this
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
29 Jan 07
I so agree with you but seems most people require a push to make a change in their lives and New Year's is a good time to do it.
@chaygylmommy (2470)
• United States
29 Jan 07
What a great post! I, too, do not make new year's resolutions anymore because of the exact reasons you listed above. I always seemed to give in for a day or two and then get so down on myself that I just totally gave up. As the year went on and new year begins, I am even worse off than I was before...whether it be my weight, my debts, or my self confidence. I LOVE LOVE LOVE your idea of the journal. Do you hand write this journal? If you don't mind, I may just take a pagge from your book and start my own. I have often thought about how I would make my mark on society. I will never be president or the head of a corporation. i will never solve the problems of global warming or child abuse. But, I can still make a contribution by letting my family--even generations to come--know about me and my life. As you said, you want them to know who you were and that you were human and had your ups AND downs.
Thank you so much for your wonderful post and the great idea
1 person likes this
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
29 Jan 07
I do hand write it as I want my grandchildren to know me by my handwriting. I feel that is is important to write of my trials as well as my strengths and good times. I want them to know that it is ok to make mistakes and to see how my mistakes made me a better person. Does that make sense? It was hard to write of my trials to begin with because I did not want anyone to know I had these trials or thoughts but once I started writing them, I could see the importance of telling them.
1 person likes this
@chaygylmommy (2470)
• United States
29 Jan 07
well, all I have to say is that you have a great thing. I love the whole idea and I am going to do my own, too. Thank you again for the idea.
1 person likes this
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
29 Jan 07
Congradulations! That is a long time, you can do it. If you have made it this far you can do it.
@margieanneart (26423)
• United States
31 Jan 07
No, I didn't bother to make any. It never works out, no matter how hard I try. So, I just live each day, and do my best that way.
1 person likes this
@chimex4real2k2 (1853)
• Nigeria
30 Jan 07
To rid myself of all resentment... which just happens to be the most powerful poison upon this entire planet!
1 person likes this
@howiedy (236)
• Philippines
31 Jan 07
I refrained from making New Year's resoultion because I have broken some of them in the past. I just try to live each day and be better than I was before. I agree that it is more of a goal rather than a New Year's resolution. Hopefully I will be able to touch, change, and inspire lives not by being excellent, but by being a perfect example of a human being.
1 person likes this
@JanieJetz (47)
• United States
30 Jan 07
I am with you! I think keeping track of what you want out of life, and caling them goals or aspirations, then checking in with yourself every once in a while to see if you are still on track, is a GOOD thing. Making a New Year's resolution can sometimes be effective (lose weight, etc) but often we see these as short term strategies. I like the idea of a lifetime goal.... so you see it as a long term and lasting goal. So if you want to lose weight... think about what next after you reach your goal (maintainance plan?). What happens if you don't lose what you thought.... a new plan? I am not great myself at sticking to resolutions, but I like the sound of a lifetime goal. Maybe I'll put my money where my mouth is! :) I'll let you guys know what happens!
1 person likes this
@peaceful (3294)
• United States
30 Jan 07
Although it's not what you might call a "New Years Resolution" per se, I have a daily habit of "Pouncing on every opportunity to help someone have a better day!" and I've been pretty much on schedule with it.
My "New Year" begins in November, so I can start the ball rolling by cooking and sharing one heck of a feast with others who might be lonely or desolate.
Joy, Abundance and Peace be with you! :)
May Happiness and Health and Vibrance Herself, come home to Thee, like excellent, though strayed, friends who now want a permanent place in your Heart Of Hearts...
Heal and Be Well!
1 person likes this
@shrekk (561)
• Pakistan
30 Jan 07
well villageane, its all about commitments. Everything you said is true and resolutions ARE difficult to keep. But you know what I've come to believe, none of them is impossible. NONE. And this is not just exaggerated optimism. If you try your best, you'll find out that really, some of the seemingly impossible resolutions are surprisingly easy to keep. I myself've never made a new year's resolution, but I guess if I ever would, I'd just try my best and I'm sure I'll be able to do it. All this we say about things being hard and difficult is all very deceptive and false...just try it.
1 person likes this
@makeupsuperhero (37)
•
30 Jan 07
I do not like setting myself up for failure so I typically do not make new years resolutions. However, I do set life goals for myself which I make attempts to work on daily: be a better person, be more giving etc.
1 person likes this
@ethanmama (1745)
• Philippines
30 Jan 07
I don't make New Year's Resolutions anymore. When I was younger I used to have a list. But then I realized that I don't keep any of those! I realized it was because I made the resolutions JUST BECAUSE it was New Year's and I WAS SUPPOSED to make them, hence the list.
Now I just resolve to do things when I see the need to, when I think it will better my life or better me as a person, AND it does not have to be New Year's when I do a resolution. These I usually keep.
1 person likes this
