Now what to do about resolutions !
New Year’s is around and that means time to make resolutions.
How dreadful! cough…. How fluffed-full ! cough cough….. I mean how wonderful it is :D
Somehow this concept felt alien to me :| It felt imposed by marketing gimmicks. Gyms thrive on this! C’mon, y’all know it.
To be honest I have never made a typical new year resolution for the 1st January. How uncool but true.
Taking a resolve is a state of mind or a feeling that comes from deep within. One can have that any time of the year. I observed that I couldn’t force the feeling to come exactly to start on the 1st of January of every year.
Remember as a kid, the whole world asking you, “What are your resolutions ?”
So, I wondered why do I feel that way. Why is everyone making a list of multiple resolutions? Here, I have a blank sheet! What’s going on ya.
My problem : I realized that even as a child I looked at a resolution as a serious ordained thing. Not meant to be broken. Sacred! While many around me took it as a fun or a nice or a cool thing to be done. It was not a frivolous indulgence for yours truly :( I don’t know why. That’s how I felt.
It is serious stuff! Back then, not many saw it that way. I tried suppressing my deep attitude about it.
Come 31st January, others would forget about their resolve with a causal statement and laughter “Oh! resolution is meant to be broken.” or “You are taking it too seriously!.”
It broke my heart…resolutions are precious. I remember my friend breaking hers within a week, I felt bad. There was no point reasoning out, we were 14 then. I never ended up making resolutions after seeing a high rate of failure cases around new year’s.
Anyhow, fast forward. The ’20s became all about New Year’s parties. Oh my God! 1st Januaries were the worst…. being up till 4:00 am destroys the next day. It didn’t feel good beyond a point.
Then one day in my 20s, I decided to take charge of this whole charade about New year’s once and for all. I researched and developed my own thing. It was an eye-opener.
Finally, this is my ritual for a globally accepted New Year. I keep full-proofing it as days go by. I have been practicing this for a couple of years happily. Here, is the basic blueprint.
- Decide how you want the 1st of January to go.
It sets the tone for the coming days of the year. I add elements that I feel happy about. I am not going to tell you about my day because I clearly want to remain mysterious :P - You can even plan a common activity as a family.
- Plan 31st Dec according to 1st January. For example, I want to wake up by 7:00 am. If I am at a get-together, I decide not to celebrate beyond 12:10am. Wish and move out in ten mins. Best is to keep it simple and focus on the 1st.
- On 31st, reflect on the passing year. Think about all the good things, and what can I improve on. Be thankful.
- On 1st, think about what exciting things you want from the year.
- I feel point # 3 & #4 is what end of the year should revolve around.
- I decide one thing that I want to discipline myself on. This can be started in the first week of January. It should not be vague statement like “Be healthy”, but specific. I chalk out the process and steps to achieve it. As simple as eating 8 soaked almonds daily to eliminating caffeine completely.
- I stick to it till I see some results and it becomes part of me. Once achieved, I make the next resolve. Now, two resolves run in parallel. Depending on the intensity and time required, I keep adding more.
- So my resolves are pretty much dynamic and focussed. They run throughout the year. Once you get a hang of it, it works like a charm. I have come to a point of “ Okay what next now. How can I challenge and improve myself more.” Point is to get your mind and body used to such events and this takes time. Months. Years.
- BUT, if there is an on-going resolve around New-years, then I don’t take the pressure of compulsory taking another one for January for the heck of it. #6 doesn’t applies then.
- I also fail! :) I tweak to a reasonable limit then.
Ah! the latest of waking up at 5:00am daily. I have failed! Failed miserably :( I have gone to 6:30am. Weekends I add flexibility. - Make it practical, accountable and measurable for yourself in a way that it doesn’t disturbs others.
- Resolve is made when the mind is willing and not when dates change. You can make one even before 1st January. Why to wait for good things to start :)
But, many get incentivized encouraged around NEW YEARS. As long as that adrenaline rush motivates you to stick through, nothing like it :) But don’t break it plz. - As you will notice, all this is can be applied to all culturally-rooted new year’s day also. Need not be only for 1st January.
If you have a method in place for your 2021, I am happy for you. If not, feel free to ponder over mine and personalize it. This blueprint would work during Covid.
For past few years especially, I have acknowledged and strengthened my intensity about being disciplined through taking a resolve seriously and thoughtfully. What I tried suppressing back then for a while, is a strength today. What they say is not correct. It is a myth that resolutions are meant to be broken. Any resolution is to be kept and nurtured.
Wishing you all a very happy prosperous motivated 2021.
2020 will be done and dusted, let’s move forward in style, simplicity and strength!
Thank You & Love,