How Will Trump Govern
December 8, 2015
Expand Black History in Schools
February 5, 2016
By Janice S. Ellis, Ph.D., Kansas City, MO –
Resolutions of years past should be our focus as we set new ones for this year. This time of year we take time to meditate on new goals, set new resolutions only to watch them fade away in a week or month or two. Rather than making new resolutions for 2016, why not do something novel like finishing resolutions of years past.
Without a doubt, we all have old resolutions that we’ve either totally forgotten having ever made, or simply gave up completing them. As a result, we may have experienced remorse, defeatism, inadequacy, and a host of other negative and non-productive feelings.
You can easily resolve to work on making things better. For example, instead of say making just one more resolution to lose 20 lbs (or whatever your number is), merely incorporate healthy eating habits, and exercise into your daily routine. Chances are you’ll lose weight and feel better; the lasting effect could be an overall healthier lifestyle.
Revisit resolutions of years past and prioritize the crucial three or four, whether they involve self, family, career, or community, and candidly assess what you had expected to accomplish vs. what you truly did, and just pick up where you left off.
Resolutions of years past. Photo Credit: dreamstime.com
This strategy offers immediate advantages. First, you can drop the long standing remorse or baggage that you simply take — consciously or subliminally — around always beginning something and never finishing it. You’ll take corrective actions and that feels good within itself. In addition, you’ll really do something that you should have done long ago.
You’re also likely to see a fresh awareness of energy, after shedding the weight of all that guilt, by taking on other interests and tasks as these opportunities present themselves during 2016.
Seem too easy? Well when considering your track record of keeping past New Year’s resolutions, is not finishing old ones worth a try?
Feature Photo Credit: neatorama.com
Edited and Reprinted with Permission of USAonRace.com
13 Comments
I also often wonder if people who come up with resolutions at the start of the year could actually stand up to it and achieve it at the end of the year. Still, if it’s unsuccessful, I agree with you — why not continue it the next year? Change is an ongoing process – it doesn’t happen overnight, or even over a year.
This is funny yet very informative. Resolutions are indeed hard to do, but instead of pursuing it people nowadays change their past resolution relating it to the change that’s happening too our world today.
The focus should be on the years past this year. One has to set new resolutions.
This is one area I haven’t been truthful with. I don’t keep mine at all. Yes,I will have to go back to be drawing board and re-evaluate my resolutions and see how I can start carrying them out. This is like a wake-up call.
Doing a resolution seems just easy to accomplish. I remember my last resolutions, I have done only a few.
I respect that point of view but what if making new resolution helps us think with a broader perspective. Last years resolutions were abandoned because they didn’t appeal to us as much as they did when we dreamt it all up but this is a new year , why not think of something new to do this year and keep the cycle going until we find a resolution that fits , one that we don’t feel like giving up on. Won’t that make us a better person as well?
I have a really bad track record when it comes to sticking to my new years resolutions. This year I did not make any resolution but I can comfortably say that I have achieved some of the goals I wanted.
New year resolutions are great. They help you keep track of your immediate goals and prepare your mind you take in new tasks. It opens a whole window of possibility.
making resolutions are easy but committing the same is difficult yes it is better make resolution to be done within a short span of time so it could be achieved.also recounting our earlier resolution made will remind us how far we have really achieved
I think the problem people have with resolutions is that they set it too high. Losing 20 pounds in a year seems like an ideal goal, but when they realize they gained some weight after working so hard to lose maybe 10 pounds in the first three months, they feel defeated and don’t want to continue. Keep it simple and you can finish these resolutions easy.
I really don’t believe in new year’s resolutions. For me, it should be an everyday outlook to change, improve, and grow. I don’t want it to just be limited to a new year
I do not wait for New year to change I mean if you wanna be better you can everyday. However, I respect the tradition.
The one thing I know will really be of good help if we revisit old resolutions of past year is the lifting away of guilt that must have weigh us out. This is a reminder to me,will have to re-strategize again.