New Year’s Resolutions? Not For This Chick!

Happy 2009!  I can’t believe that 2008 is already gone.  It seemed to fly by, and now I’m sitting here at the end of the first full weekend of 2009 contemplating the following year and the other thing that seems to stalk everyone’s mind this time of year-resolutions.  Oh, I’ve made and broken my share of those over the years.  Eat better.  Yeah, right!  Take Moes away, and maybe that will happen.  Get more sleep.  Hardly!  Though that’s an admirable goal.  Exercise six times a week.  Again, an admirable goal, but the second it doesn’t happen, resolution broken.  Matter of fact, my husband and I jokingly call folks who sign up at the gym “resolutionaries” because most of them won’t last beyond March.

So as I was waiting for my tea to brew a moment ago, I was wondering why we make resolutions.  To better ourselves.  We want to improve something (sleep time, eating habits, exercise).  How do we measure it?  By some quantity, like “I resolve to get eight hours of sleep a night.”  Or like earlier:  “I resolve to exercise six times a week.”  Or “I resolve to eat five servings of veggies, four of good carbs, etc.” Unfortunately, the second we slip up, we moan and say, “I’ve broken my resolution!”  Discouragement sets in, and then we give up and flop back onto the couch to watch another television program.  It’s easier to give up because we’ve broken a promise to ourselves.

Now, I’m not saying that goals aren’t a good thing.  They’re a great thing and are the drivers for bettering ourselves.  I’m just suggesting that rather than make all of these declarations at the beginning of the New Year in the form of resolutions, look at what you want to do as goals.  I think then, when something goes awry–life is that way–we don’t give up.  Sure, we may throw our hands in the air, but we generally don’t give up.

So this year, I’m making no resolutions.  I do have goals.  Yes, I’d love to eat better.  Yes, I’m planning on doing some triathlons this year, hence the need for exercise.  Yes, I hope to get on a better sleep schedule.  But none of these are resolutions because I know that most likely, I’m going to get busted on them.  I’m already busting that sleep goal.

But if I did make one resolution, it would be to live boldly and day to day.  Not to worry about the future.  To paraphrase Christ in the Book Matthew, each day has its own troubles, so don’t be anxious about tomorrow.  May you endeavor to do the same.  Happy New Year.

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