Coming To An End…

   The year 2022 is rapidly coming to a close. The last few weeks of each year are often filled with a lot of excitement, celebration and family fun. The days and weeks finishing out each year can be very busy and depending upon your personal beliefs and family backgrounds, religious celebrations, and other cultural beliefs they can add to the pleasure and excitement of the time. But with the ending of an old year and the beginning of a new one, there is one additional tradition that has spanned over four thousand years of history. Yes…4000+  I am referring to the making of the New Year’s Resolution.

   From the early days of the Babylonians to this year’s New Year’s eve parties of 2022, many have and will continue to look back on the past year, identify the successes and failures and come up with a new list of resolutions for the new year. And as this tradition has evolved and changed over the generations from being more religious in nature to more individual and personal in nature, the process has pretty much stayed the same. It begins with a simple question one askes themselves… what mistakes did I make this past year and how can I learn from them?

   On the lighter side of life, a number of those resolutions seem pretty simple. My New Year’s resolution is to lose weight or maybe it’s time to throw out some of my old clothes. But on a more serious note perhaps the resolution may have something to do with breaking up with an old boyfriend or girlfriend or getting a new job because your boss is making life a bit too uncomfortable for you.

   Now I will admit that I have not been the most effective in keeping my New Year’s resolutions. If I could get through the first three or four weeks of the new year I might consider it a success, but sometimes old habits are difficult to break. (That would make a great New Year’s resolution)

   Perhaps, after doing a bit of research, I found there may be some steps to take and points to consider to be more successful. First, pick one area or one thing you would like to change and make sure that it is something that, if you work at it, you can achieve. I will never make the NFL.

   The second point to consider is to plan ahead. Don’t wait until the last minute. In addition to putting additional pressure on yourself causing a bit more frustration, there may be some things you want to change but need additional time and preparation.

   Pick a start date. Changes do not need to be made on New Years Day. By picking a start date it gives you time to get your mind in the right place. And in addition to a start date, develop a timeline. Give yourself enough time to meet any unforeseen challenges and be sure to give yourself credit to the small wins along the way.

   One of the better activities to consider when attempting to establish a new year’s resolution is to look back at some of the failures and mistakes from the previous year. Mistakes and failure are not always bad. They can teach us some very important lessons for the future. The important point here is to be sure you learn from those mistakes and avoid making them again.

   So now… the really important question. Should you tell someone what your New Year’s resolution is? That is a difficult question, because if you tell them and you fail…..well you know what I am thinking. But perhaps they can also provide support if needed. On occasion, in the past, I would write my resolution on a sticky note and post it somewhere, generally out of sight of others, but in a place where I could see it on a regular basis to serve as a gentle reminder. And another possibility? Keep a journal.

   As the countdown to 2023 begins, if you are planning to follow the long-term tradition of coming up with a New Year’s resolution for the coming year, remember that as the thousands of other before you did, remind yourself that the goal is to spark a positive change in your life. It doesn’t need to be big. It just needs to bring you some personal satisfaction and a feeling of accomplishment, no matter how small or insignificant the change may be. It’s about you.

   So with this year coming to an end, I wish you all a very happy and wonderful New Year and look forward to 2023.