So, we’ve begun another year and while many were severely intoxicated when they went into 2011, another practice that many people perform at the start of the year is to make resolutions.
While we hardly ever reach the targets we set ourselves, with research proving we only achieve 12% of our goals, a lot of us always strive to make objectives year in year out. With the history of resolutions stretching back two thousand years, not long after the Romans created the modern day calendar, that is a lot of ambitions not being fulfilled. Sometimes I do wonder why we keep saying we’re going to exercise more or save more money, when if it clearly hasn’t happened for the past 4 years, why would this year be any different? That’s why I think resolutions can be seen in two ways. Either acceptance that something needs changing but one that ultimately won’t, or a statement of intent where you’re genuinely determined to succeed.
I think the reason why we almost always fail with our resolutions is that most of the time they are about things that we’d like to change about ourselves, but we aren’t that bothered if it doesn’t happen. Things like losing weight and quitting smoking are traditionally the most common resolutions, but at the same time also the ones where people fall short with the most. Maybe we cast these sorts of aims because we feel we have to as it’s the New Year, however at the end of the day we don’t really have the spirit to follow through with them.
Or maybe there isn’t anything actually that wrong with the dull targets we give to ourselves. I mean, what is really wrong with not going walking in the countryside enough? Or drinking a little too much alcohol on the weekends? Or maybe even wasting a bit too much time on Facebook? Okay, so maybe we’d like to change these aspects about ourselves, but at the same time people who commit such acts are perfectly happy doing them all the same. Maybe you’ll never shift that muffin top off your hips, and ultimately break your resolution, but at least you’ll be happy doing other things that put a smile on your face, equally as much as having the perfect body would.
However, if we didn’t use the most obvious resolutions to try and improve ourselves, what ones would we use? I suggest some of us should try and break the mould and think of some inventive and slightly strange New Years resolutions. Personally, I’ve always fancied eating a whole packet of Bourbon Creams each day of the year, or taking up the old fashioned sport of dinosaur hunting. Who knows, there might be people who’ve chosen this year to start collecting cigarette butts or learn how to gut a fish. Although a lot of these proposals seem extremely farfetched, they certainly steer well clear of the mundane and boring ambitions we usually churn out.
Turning vegetarian would be an interesting one, or an aim to claim your 15 minutes of fame that everyone is thought to get. However, whatever your resolution is, maybe add an extra resolution to stick to the resolutions you’ve already made. However, if you break that then I’m not too sure what to suggest. If you haven’t even made a resolution yet but are considering one, then perhaps make it a bit strange, the fact it’s unusual may spur you on to keep to it! What we all need is a bit of drive behind our resolutions, not to make them when they’re clouded in an air of resignation. This isn’t the case for everyone, but it would probably mean more resolutions would join the 12% that are kept to throughout the year.
Me? Well I gave up making resolutions a long time ago, after not getting through January with most of them. Today, my only resolution is to not make resolutions anymore, and if I’m honest I’m pretty confident I’ll stick to it.
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