Here it is long enough after the first of January for me to have broken any New Year’s resolutions I may have made, and I’m ahead of the game. That’s because I haven’t made any except for my resolve not to make any more resolutions in the years ahead as well.
I’ve chosen instead to go with Vision – whole life Vision. The rationale seems obvious to me now. Without that vision – the Big Picture you see for yourself – and the commitment to attaining it, resolutions are pointless and can be counterproductive.
On the other hand, with vision and commitment as your traveling partners, resolutions are unnecessary.
If, let’s say, the vision for your future and commitment to it, includes seeing yourself in a state of vibrant health, then you will learn what constitutes and helps to maintain good health and you will do all you can to fulfill that vision. Exercising, for example, or spending the necessary time and effort to eat right, may still present challenges, but each step taken along the way will also bring satisfaction, rewards in the form of results day by day as you get closer to the vision, no matter how long it takes. This is true for the vision for any area of your life, whether career, social, creative, relationship, financial, or otherwise. This is not say you won’t have setbacks, but setbacks are a part of life and don’t have to be deal-killers.
Mark Twain’s take on New Year’s Day and what it brings was this: “…now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.”
Yet, if you still want to make resolutions instead of having goals leading to your vision, you will find out that the day keeping your resolve becomes drudgery and motivation dissolves, which happens for most people soon enough, is the day you break the resolution and feel like a failure, right? Right.
Committed vision though, is its own motivation.
"Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, and magic and power in it. Begin it now," said Goethe
Benjamin Franklin offered this admonition and wish for any of our undertakings for a good new year. “Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.” (or woman)