Do Not Make a Resolution...

Every year on the dawn of January 1st people wake up and plan a lofty list of resolutions for their year. Some are simple, like going to drink more water, or going to buy this thing I have put off for the last few years. Others however, are life changing acts, such as loosing 200lbs over the next year. Or deciding to finally get married. Most give up within a few weeks, others burn out after a few months, and then there are those who really desire change. The ones that follow through, endure, and inspire.

We all know the outline of the resolution, and this is why I believe you should not make any.

So, obviously we all have dreams of granger. To overcome the new years slump and make it to the resolution finishline with a perfect photo finish. That is what we have made up in our minds. Then year after year we stumble or fall and eventually we stop sprinting. We stop running, the photo finish looks like a distant dream, an unreachable goal, and eventually we just stop believing in ourselves.

Now, that's not to say all of us don't make it to that finishline. There are those rare gems that simply shine all the way throughout the year. With a sparkling, gleaming, demeanor and an iron will, they do finially reach that finishline with such grace the rest of the onlookers and trummped competitors glower with such disdain. They have no idea the struggles that victor had to overcome, nor the strife, nor the grief. The only thing the spectators see is the dazzling victor in all their glory. Thus creating jealousy and rivalries.

The reasons most do not succeed is not because they can't, It's simply because they lack certain traits that make it easy to win... For example an obses person cannot fight off the urge to eat poorly, without self control. Self control is learned as an extension of self discipline. Self discipline however, is a byproduct of patience. These are key factors in the overall results. Key factors that are often overlooked in the whimsical wants of resolutions.

Without these traits, well, the struggle is real. Truly it's hard to keep a good attitude when you find yourself stuck in failure. Your attitude and perseverance are other key factors in winning. If you have a "what's the point?" or "well it hasn't worked before..." attitude then you have already failed. Believe me, I know it's hard to have the confidence to keep a good attitude while you struggle with unknown results.

These are all reasons I believe you shouldn't make resolutions. What I do belive is you should take baby steps into making a plan. One that will span much further out than a New Years Resolution. One that will make you take into account the traits you lack and help you build them up as you progress. One that you can expect to see results over time, yet challenge yourself. That way you keep your confidence and don't undermine your own progress. The kind of plan that keep you accountable and doesn't rely on false expectations or overreaching.

No dear reader, do not inflate your ego and determination based on a short term answer just to be overwhelmed and fail. The keys to success are based on long term perseverance and patience. The kind that to most who hype up on the resolution kick are quite underwhelming. These keyes however will have lingering long term results in whatever your plan chooses.

Be patient, be honest with yourself. Dig deep and unearth all of your shortcommings. Then determine what traits are tied to those shortcomings. Once you know you can build up those traits whilst taking babysteps towards your goals. As they say "To run, you must first learn to walk." Once you have your balance and are doing well then, That is when you can run at your goal and make that photo finish.

That my dear reader is why you shouldn't make a resolution.