BE IT RESOLVED THAT …
Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020
How are your resolutions coming?
Are you resolved to make change, or are things beautiful, ‘just as they are?’
Internal debate time; “Be it resolved that I will ____________.”
Go ahead, fill in that blank with a word, a list of items, or a whole page – whatever works for you.
Walking outside is treachery – streets, sidewalks, and alleys; each no better or worse than the other, I tried the neighborhood route yesterday because the mall was closed. Yikes, even unsafe on skates!
It will be back to the mall today, back to regular work, and possibly back to a gym. My diet and weight control program is working well – which, together with the mall walking is helping, but the by-product is flabby body in need of a tighten-up and loss of upper body strength.
Meanwhile, back at my list/plan for 2020, many of my items have been underway for a few weeks, so the need for abrupt change (i.e., New Year’s Resolutions) is eliminated. My list is long and keep-able. I’d done some crude calculations so for (annualized savings $12K so far) and time freed-up (about 2,000 hours) from the changes I’ve already made. The freed-up time will be spent wisely methinks, on those things I’ve chosen to focus upon in lieu of things I’ve given up or set aside.
I have some advice, not that I’m an expert, to offer:
My largely unsuccessful history has been to make one or two resolutions. They usually don’t last till the end of January, and some barely survived that first week.
This year, from mid-November till now, I’ve been working my list of actions, additions, and deletions from my personal and business life – and the transformation is well underway.
The advice I offer is not to trick yourself this way to achieve success on New Year’s Resolutions (NYRs) gone wrong. Instead, I propose taking an ‘all year’ approach to lifestyle improvement.
So far I’ve kept every keep/improve/change item on my list for most of last month (34 items; 8 things to keep doing, 8 to start doing, 18 to stop doing) and haven’t wavered yet this year – so, more than one day under my belt. And there are ‘do things in 2020’ I’ve not begun yet. It’s early days, but does it really matter whether we resolve to make change on any particular day of the year – or is it find to start at any time?
The obvious answer is ANY TIME we want to, but we have to want to. Whether it is health/long life, financial, career, self-esteem, or letting off steam – most of us don’t need help figuring out what needs change or improvement in our lives, the issues are resolve and perseverance. We all want the result, but we let ourselves off easy in terms of executing on our resolve.
Go ahead, make a list. It might be two items, might be twenty – but keep it, look at it daily. As you add and delete things also, start ranking them in priority of impact, in terms of money saved, in terms of time saved. The NYRs gone wrong lament serves no valuable purpose. The ‘ongoing review’ approach can make your life a little bit better every day.
Here’s a couple of gems that have already made a difference for me:
Grocery shop once a week, after my morning mall walk and on a full-breakfasted tummy, with a list – saves much time and peace of mind to shop when everyone else isn’t, saves encounters with parking-lot driver/idiots, saves money, offers best selection of fully and freshly stocked shelves (to say nothing of best prices found on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings). Buying only what is on the list helps too.
Setting aside some time, first thing in the morning works best for me, to do those ‘feel good’ tasks that start the day best and get the work done too (i.e., making the bed, vacuuming/tidying/cleaning).
Make your own list, and make it your own – no need to share, it’s private.
Reader feedback:
Absolutely correct from where I'm standing. We have all we need to shine... Let's do it. This is the first mail of 2020, the first message and it was great. Happy 2020! , AG, Cancun, Mex.
Happy New Year Mark, truly I am looking forward to the opportunities 2020 will bring and I appreciate your words of wisdom. Hope you have a prosperous and safe new year. All the best, MK, Calgary, AB
Good morning Mark. Here is a link from an email I received that is really well done. Hope you enjoy it. https://biggeekdad.com/2011/01/happy-new-year/ Beautifully sung and heart warming. Scenery exceptional. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU!, MM, Calgary, AB
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