I'm not a big fan of New Year's resolutions. I think it's important to always strive for improvement (and no one on Earth ever runs out of things to improve), but January 1st comes around far, far too close to Christmas: generally a holiday where restrictions and boundaries are lifted. People eat too much, drink too much, spend too much...and just one week later we're expected to turn everything around.
One week after the most exorbitant and extravagant holiday of the year...no wonder so many resolutions are thrown out the window within days.
Chinese New Year seems like a more reasonable time to make resolutions. Nearly a month after Christmas it gives people a time to reflect on what's important in their lives, and make concrete promises to work towards new goals. Maybe that makes me sound like a procrastinator, and I'm sure there's an ounce of truth in that, but an extra three weeks to prepare could only benefit.
One of my fellow bloggers suggested resolutions for every person to try, and I think it's telling that she posted her list five days after the New Year. Who's going to say "you didn't really quit smoking this year because you didn't start on January 1st"? Goals are goals: it doesn't matter when you start them or when you finish them, it's the fact that you resolved to do them.
I like Catherine's suggestions, and I'm sure they'd fit with 90% of the population. If you are an overweight, overspending smoker (like me), then all of them actually work together. I'm not much of a drinker, but the concept is the same.
Smoking costs me roughly $300 a month. Eating fast food and other junk probably costs me another $150. Let's say half of that could go towards something more meaningful, like healthier food from the grocery store or a fitness club membership, and the rest goes to savings.
Voila! I just satisfied all of my resolutions!
It may seem easy to pick resolutions that relate to each other, but when the goal is about improvement it's not uncommon that several things "wrong" in your life are connected. There's certainly no shame in having five resolutions that are chained together, especially if you manage to meet your goals in all five.
The most important thing is to be realistic. I know that 2012 is the year that I'm going to quit smoking, lose weight, and save money, but I also know that not all of those things will happen on January 1st. Improvement is incredibly rewarding, but it's also hard (that's part of what makes it so rewarding). My goals are concrete: quit smoking by the end of January, lose 50 pounds by the first day of summer, and save $1000 by the end of November (and probably blow it all on Christmas shopping).
Wish me luck! And share your resolutions. It's always good to have a support group, and putting your goals out for the world to see can only strengthen your resolve to achieve them.
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