Happy 2012! This year signals a leap year, the People’s National Party won Jamaica’s election, the first Youth Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria and the Olympics in London, where the world is poised, keen to witness what extraordinary feat Usain Bolt will achieve this time. To add to events is the trend of making resolutions for the New Year.
Many hopefuls and optimists will have made their lists on things to improve, achieve or simply get over for 2012. Some will have it stored by memory, others with a written copy posted on the wall or on the refrigerator door to serve as reminders. However, New Year’s resolutions are rarely kept by most of the newly avowed. Whether it is to get into shape, get spiritual, lose weight, make a career change, fall in love, improve your education, time spent with family, quit smoking, resolutions are short-lived.
Rather than make resolutions for the sake of making them, ensure that this is something that you would very much like to do and you have the drive and desire to accomplish them. Bear in mind to also keep resolutions realistic and that it may require self discipline and devotion to maintain them. To keep them, one must realize that to make the change, it is you who is at the controls. It is very difficult to change habits but not impossible.
You may want to start with the simpler ones than move on to tackle the more difficult resolutions. That way when you achieve the simple ones, it feels empowering and also motivates you to move on to tackle the bigger tasks at hand. You may want to join groups, organizations or get together with friends with similar goals that can help keep you on track.
Try to have one resolution that is about others, your community or your neighborhood. Resolutions are too often self centered and individualistic. Focus on a charity, church ministry or organization that helps the less fortunate or join a mentorship program to be a mentor to a child or teenager. Giving back not only helps others but you get the great feeling of making a positive impact on society.
Resolutions are good only if you keep them. If they are not maintained then it becomes redundant and there is no point in making them. Sure, it is great that you still attempt a change as you make the effort to do so by having resolutions in the first place. However, efforts can only carry you so far.
