I’ve stopped. I’m of the school of thought that a resolution is an excuse to make small steps towards big goals, and then give up because it was too lofty to begin with. Plus, why does it need to be done at the arbitrary beginning of a year?
Okay, the holidays are over and you can stop eating poorly. That may be the one reason you resolve to eat better/exercise more/live healthier.
A year is such a long time (or should be, if you live your life the right way) and I’m not a fan of long-term goals. Sure, you want to have a direction to head (California vs New York) but you don’t need to know which path you’re taking (I-70 vs I-80).
Sure, you can be flexible with your resolutions but then we should just keep them in mind throughout the entire year, not just in January. Can you remember your goals from previous years? Do you monitor them?
I don’t set new years resolutions for the reasons you’ve already stated. In my opinion if something is worth changing in your life then you should change it irrespective of the time of the year. I think NY’s resolutions are sometimes just an excuse for people with no will power to feel less bad about doing certain things (i.e. smoking, lack of exercise, drinking, over eating etc) in the run up to the New Year.
Having said that stopping every now and then to review what you’ve done and plan for the future ain’t such a bad thing and the end of one year and start of the next is as good a time as any.
I agree with you Devin and James. If a change is worth making it shouldn’t matter the time of year.
One thing I do however, is use New Years as a time to review what my current goals are. I do this multiple times throughout the year and New Years seems like a good time to confirm I’m headed where I want to be.
I did make one resolution last year which I kept, but I made the decision and started acting on it long before the New Year.
Never make them. I see them as useless, and never remember making them. If people asked I’d lie, and pretend I had a few, just so not to appear odd.
Life and goals are ongoing, they should be reviewed several times a year. New Years is probably the worse time to do it – all that alcohol and all.
resolutions? making yourself better? wha? i thought i was perfect the way i was?
right. big flipping “just kidding” there.
sometimes your 20s can become a big game of “i’m perfectly unperfect” or whatever sex and the city quotes that have made their way into popular consciousness. i think not settling is important. and if some people need a kick in the butt by using something as symbolic as the new year, then that’s good for them.
but i’m more in line with your thinking. it seems arbitrary and forced to set a list of goals and get them accomplished over a year – most people just end up forgetting it seems. it’s more important to realize what you need to change when that change is needed.
I agree with all of you, it’s good to keep your goals in sight… again, I’ll still check the compass to make sure I’m headed west and I’ll look at the pictures I took (because that’s who I am and why I am where I am today) but I’ll still be flexible as I journey west (or wherever).
I’ll give in on the fact that NYE is a totally subjective time to set goals. But, they’re important, and it’s one easy time that reminds us how important they are. I always tell friends they could use their birthday, or anniversary. But the point is that it’s a date that reminds you to have that reality check with yourself.
Personally, I have daily, weekly, 6-month, 1-year, and even (very broad, flexible) 5-year goals. But, yes, it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t write it down. It doesn’t mean anything if you don’t track and monitor your progress. That’s why most of us fail at our “resolutions” regularly.
I have a few good posts on this at Thrilling Heroics.
“A goal properly set is halfway reached.”
-Abraham Lincoln