Already broken your New Year’s Resolutions?

It’s almost two weeks into the New Year. Since people are still telling me ‘Happy New Year’ I think that greeting hasn’t expired just yet. For that matter, I would like to begin by wishing all of you a Happy New Year. I don’t remember the last time I made a New Year’s resolution. Actually, I do not make New Year’s resolutions, but choose some goals a few times a year and work in smaller steps to achieve progress. However, I have seen a number of my friends that make the Official Resolutions at the beginning of the year and always break them before February (indeed some have already broken them today). In the end, some of them become depressed or angry about it, but others, since they are used to making resolutions every end of year, take it easy and actually laugh about it. World wide, people make New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, save money, drink less alcohol, quit smoking, reduce stress, pay off debts…et cetera. My friend David while hosting us at his place on New Year’s Eve told us that we should party hard with him that evening because we shall see less of him in 2012. He had made a resolution of cutting on his nights out and not touching any thing close to alcohol in 2012. As friends, we are supposed to help our friends live up to their dreams and expectations. That evening we all agreed to support David and any other friend in their endeavors to quit the habit of drinking alcohol. However, much as we kept our promise, we were taken aback when a few days after the New Year, our good friend David had failed to live up to his New Year resolutions. Apparently, while celebrating his birthday that happens to be in the first week of January, he realized he was the only sober person in the party and decided to swallow a few tequila shots such that he gets to enjoy his own party. Anyways, his birthday was his own downfall; he is now back to the same habits he had promised to drop. Often, people make many if not all the above resolutions on New Year’s Eve. In the real sense, making such resolutions is just being hard on your self. It’s important for people to use a more positive approach and find out what disrupted their good intentions. However, much resolutions are important, it’s advisable to choose a smaller, more reachable goal with a reasonable time frame. Don’t let your friends or family tell you what to do about resolutions. Everyone should work on themselves, not someone else. You can also plan your goals in smaller steps and write them down there, each smaller achievement you make will drive you forward with new zest. Also, don’t beat yourself up since 1, 000 years from now, no one is likely going to know anything about your broken resolutions. It will not be in tomorrow’s headlines, either. No one has it together 110 percent of the time. No one! Lastly, you should celebrate yourself. You have to like yourself right where you are before you can gain momentum towards your goals. Reward yourself when your shorter-term and intermediate goals are met. Bryok14@yahoo.com