Resolving the Unresolved
First things first. I don’t make resolutions. Don’t get me wrong. I love the idea of a brand-new beginning with a fresh, clean slate. Being a “Monday” sort of girl, I even feel a little giddy when the first day of a new year falls on the first day of a new week. Sunday notwithstanding, of course. But resolutions, to me, seem so…well, resolute. It’s too easy to get tripped up early on and then have the excuse of waiting until next New Year’s Day to repeat the cycle. Again. So I set goals instead. Setting goals gives us a much better shot at succeeding than does resolving to do/not do something from now on/ever again.
New Year’s Day may have come and gone, but it’s still not too late to start planning those positive changes you’ve been mulling over. That’s right, I said, “planning.” It’s amazing to me how we’ve been brainwashed into thinking that if we just have enough willpower, we can miraculously become fit, healthy, organized, energetic individuals who volunteer, increase our earning potential and master a foreign language—all without a plan.
Take Inventory
Before you can get to where you’re going, you have to first figure out where you are. For example, if you dream of running a marathon, you have to start by figuring out how far you’re able to run today. Think of this step as taking a kind of self-administered aptitude test. The most important thing is to be honest and realistic. I’ve always found this Lao Tsu quote so inspiring: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”
Set Attainable Goals
If your goal is to find time to exercise and you’re a chronic snooze-button-pusher, then resolving to get up a half-hour earlier every day probably isn’t the best choice for you. Instead, try looking at the rest of your day. Can you take a walk after lunch or dinner? Can you find an exercise class that fits into your existing schedule? Maybe getting fit begins with the simple step of parking at the far end of the parking lot or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. It’s these small, simple steps that are going to take you the farthest.
Get Your Priorities Straight
If you are hitting the snooze every morning, it might be time to take a look at the reasons why. If getting up half an hour earlier to exercise is something you want to make a priority, then think about getting to bed a little earlier the night before. A year from now, would you rather being feeling healthy and fit or still taking comfort in the fact that at least you never missed Letterman’s Top Ten List? Or maybe it’s that afternoon trip to Starbucks that’s keeping you up at night in which case you need to decide which is more important to you: your mocha latte or a good night’s sleep?
These are just a couple of things to keep in mind as you journey into the New Year. As for me, one of my goals is to be more flexible—and that is why I am posting this blog on neither the first of the year nor a Monday.
