THE GRAVEYARD OF GOOD INTENTIONS
And where to put last year's resolutions...
It’s that time again …
The time to admit that last year’s resolution, the idea of getting better and better and becoming the best version of yourself has been quashed because time has run out. The new year is upon us and the clock is ticking—it’s time for a full court press. The actions we take now could impact the whole year. Do we repeat the same dreaded New Year’s resolutions and likely end this next year with feelings of anxiety and dismay for once again not accomplishing them? Or is there a better way?
But who am I kidding? My resolutions have been the same for years: get in shape, eat better, be social, be spiritual, complete my lists of home projects, and work my business goals. It’s a good list! I feel passionate about each one. I have more than twenty-five articulated and weighted goals with accompanying steps, typed into a color-coded spreadsheet that I have dutifully moved forward year after year. And yet, it’s quite possible that I’ve regressed, and have actually become worse!
Could it be hormone related?
That’s my go-to excuse. There has to be something other than the regular old lack of motivation that is responsible. Does any of this sound familiar? Your phone is never where you left it. Two glasses of wine send you reeling. You’ve lost your ability to focus, and you’re absolutely sure someone else must have eaten that huge block of cheese. It’s the hormones! Because what else could it be? Why else could the things that were once accomplished with enthusiasm now feel like a never-ending marathon?
Or could my list of resolutions be the culprit?
Get in shape. I joined the gym, and my bank account is charged every month. I don’t understand why there are never any classes when I want to take them.
Eat better = cooking more. And really, who has the time? I shop the organic aisle and plan the weekly menu only to toss the rotten veggies into compost containers at the end of the week.
Be social and spiritual. Who wouldn’t want that? Yet, in reality, both are surprisingly difficult to do on your own.
I’ve had better success with house projects and work goals. There are more “completed” checkmarks on those line items—perhaps because money is involved. Getting paid to do a job and paying someone else are somehow more motivating than simply feeling and looking better.
Truth is, the resolutions we make are not all good or all bad … just like the relationships we have with the people in our lives. This is something at the top of my mind as I reflect on this last year and the goals that were not met and the people that have been lost.
There is no time machine to return to the past. The past is past.
The new year is now upon us, and with it comes a fresh perspective and the opportunity to move forward and place the old year into the graveyard of good intentions.