I'm not exactly a fan of New Year's Resolutions. I believe the people really don't change that much and that for the most part, New Year's Resolutions are the evidence of people's foolish optimism. Boy, that sounds nice, doesn't it. What a pessimist I am!
But here's my logic: change is hard. People tend to take the path of least resistance. So, when they go about changing, they...take the path of least resistance. Take the resolutions people make to stop doing something like smoking or in my case - as always - sugar and caffeine. We quit imbibing and then suffer extreme withdrawal and get cranky and make everyone miserable for a few days to a few weeks (depending on how high our families tolerance is for our hootenany) and then give up and go hog wild.
Not good, people.
All the experts agree - to truly stop indulging in a particular action requires either extensive psychotherapy (or self-evaluation, I guess) to discover why the heck we do it, what childhood trauma we are trying to ameliorate and go back to "heal" our inner child -OR- we can have one of those nice cognitive experiences where it all becomes so clear and our paradigm shifts in a moment and we suddenly have The Insight that enables us to forego what had heretofore been a major crutch. Ok, so most of us would agree we don't often get those cognitive experiences. I had one once and was able to quit smoking. However, no amount of cognitive-conjuring has enabled me to successfully once and for all quit indulging in sugar and caffeine.
So, like the majority of Americans, I make feverishly optimistic resolutions without a chance in hell of actually succeeding. Considering my high likelihood of failure, I have given up the whole freaking exercise of resolution-making in previous years. This year, to your utter surprise no doubt, I have opted to do some slight self-evaluation and decided on a few modest resolutions related to organization at home and at work. Nothing major, just slight alterations of what I am already doing to make my life easier at home and at work. Let's see if this works.
Oh, and did I mention - bah humbug?
lovelovelove
4 comments:
Congrads on your new found theory Bunnyjo. I hope it all goes well with you in your journey to bettering yourself
Like most Americans I have found a little bit of truth in a sitcom. Sad I know but it still works. The line was "Time talking is time taken away from doing". I think people talk because of what you said, they are scared. Rightfully so. It is hard to change your views, opinions, or even give up those things you truly enjoy. I believe that anyone can do anything they put their mind to, but I also believe that they must first truly WANT to do it.
A new year is like a new page in a new notebook...the first sheet is a fresh clean blank. It implies a new start, a fresh beginning, a chance to start over and get it right this time. Making resolutions on the first day of a brand new year is irresistible. Whether you keep them or not, introspection is good. And I think even a short time of giving up a bad habit is good practice.
Instead of a new year, new you kind of mentality, I like what Ann of Green Gables used to say, "Today is a new day with no mistakes in it yet." Each day, each moment we have opportunities to make decisions. I think it was Ralph Waldo Emerson who said that it is not the big decisions we make in life that count, it is the accumulation of all those little decisions. Like the mountain of Reeses Peanut Butter cups I've eaten - it is directly related to my ass size.
TO CHANGE A LIFE-HABIT, YOU SHOULD TRULY TAKE IT IN SMALL STEPS. WHEN I FIRST STARTED IN RADIO, I USED TO DRINK AN 8-PACK OF 16 OZ BOTTLES OF CKOE IN A 6 HOUR AIR SHIFT. TODAY I RARELY DRINK POP. AND NOT BECAUSE MY DOCTOR IS ENCOURAGING ME NOT TO. I HAVE TAKEN YEARS TOCUT BACK. MY MOTOVATORS FOR THIS HAVE BEEN KEEPING IN MIND THAT POP HAS MANY USELESS CALORIES, COST LOTS OF $, AND THE CARBONATION BOTHERS ME NOW. WATER IS MUCH BETTER.
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