Majority of us look forward to a new year. In January, there is this one thing which many of us think and act around; resolutions. There is something about vitality and New Year. We tenaciously forge into it with particular set of plans.
Making a resolution is all about taking responsibility. Responsibility is ability to respond to a point of action. The ability to pen down great ideas and goals is not enough to convince us of how ambitious we are.
Here are some points to consider when making this new year’s resolution.
1.Establish purpose.
Seek to realize a firm ‘why’ of doing all that which is listed in that new–year calligraphed notebook. Discovering the ‘why’ makes it easier to learn the ‘how’. Discovering the purpose helps one to be committed and consistent on the course of action. New Year comes with new revelations, new business ideas, new character trails. We are quick to chart new courses of action but for some of us, it is unfortunate that no sooner do we start than we lose enthusiasm. That’s an emblem of poor grounding on purpose (unsustainable ambitions).
2.Making a resolution is binding self to a set of decisions you are going to feel obligated to keep even after your enthusiasm has waned.
Which I know it shall. One thing we forget to remember is that New Year comes with new energies. We make our resolves based on our current over inflated sacks of enthusiasm and forget soon enough the year will get older and so shall our zeal rust. Emotions are unreliable allies. One moment they propel us forward, the next minute they impede our progress. People guided primarily by emotions must feel good to do good. Achieving goals is hence, a commitment not a feeling.
3.Know that every single day, you are making resolutions.
Whether we realize it or not- we are choosing to treat people in a certain way, to stay committed to certain activities, to live a certain life among others.
Either way, each new day we make decisions. Mark you, what we anticipate to become or achieve at the end is a cumulative collection of these very day to day choices we make. So really, it is not about this big bang theory that sometimes we visualize as we make our new year’s resolutions of gaining a good shape, improving on how to win new friends, becoming the top achiever in that company, being this very dedicated Christian who will read the entire bible. Resolutions about diet and exercise, budgeting and financial planning, prioritizing and balance. Since making resolutions is something we all do anyway, the question for us to grapple with is not whether we will dare to make more of them but whether we will be intentional about the ones we already have.
In other words, each day we are making resolves, whether they match our new year’s well written resolutions or not. One sure thing I guarantee is; whatever the big-picture this New Year resolve has, its success or failure is determined by our seemingly small daily resolves we make/do.
4.Resolutions are purposefully designed not to take into consideration the actions (or inactions) of others around you.
Resolutions address not on how your friends, partners or family should behave; it is solely on you. You only are held responsible for the success or the failure of the same. Thus, the need to have an exceptional amount of willingness to look inward, not outward.
Wishing you a purposeful new year ahead!
By Faith Titus
Hospital Psychologist
Chiromo Hospital Group
