It’s the second day of 2013 and I guess it’s finally time for me to talk about New Years Resolutions. I have mixed feelings about them though, so I’ve been holding off on divulging until I had enough time to devote to it.
Here’s the thing. I love setting goals, but I really dislike New Years. So something about the world’s renewed optimism has always been terribly depressing to me. I admit one of my biggest pet peeves is how busy the gym is the first few weeks of the year, but that’s just me being a workout snob. Truthfully, I think resolutions are a great idea in theory, but it sucks how quickly they fall by the wayside as soon as life starts picking up again.
Without realizing it, last year I made a huge change in my life starting on January 1. A year later, I am so much happier and more successful! It all started with an unassuming goal to spend 100 days improving my attitude toward life. I committed to cut the complaining and to begin living a life of gratitude instead. And guess what? After 100 days, I felt like a different person.
Depending on who you ask, it takes between 20 and 30 days for a habit to form. After 100 days, the spring semester will be almost over, and your habit will have had several months to take hold within you. Seeing an end in sight is also more comforting when you feel like your willpower is about to give out (it’s easier to swear off doughnuts for 100 days than it is for a whole year, but by the time the 100 days are finished, you probably won’t be craving them anymore).
I think that when people set resolutions, they are making wishlists for the future. They really should be taking a moment to critically think about what in their life needs changing — and what they can do about it. Start small and you might actually change your life.
Pingback: my resolutions |