Friday, December 27, 2013

Resolutions Are Not Just For the New Year

Lets look at this from a numbers standpoint. Today is 12/27/2013, and tomorrow is 12/28/2013 and the next is 12/29/2013. Which number changes first? 27 becomes 28 before 2013 becomes 2014. Okay, let me try and make sense of my point here- the days change faster than the years. There's something in your life you want to change- why do you have to wait until the LAST number changes, why not the month or the day(Or the minute or the hour)?

I've never been a resolution person, sure I say there's things I want to focus on but I've never felt the need to wait until the calendar changes to do so. I am guilty of procrastinating sometimes, or 'waiting for the right time', but it's something I am working on. There will never be a "right time" for something. If you are always waiting for the perfect time to change your life, you'll never stop waiting. There is no perfect person (despite what some think of themselves), there are no perfect conditions, there is no perfect plan and there is no perfect time to change.

Change means stepping outside your comfort zone, it means breaking the routine (or making one).
Change means putting aside the fear and deciding that you are capable of different or better.

According to USA.gov

I'm sure none of these are surprising- we've all heard them, heck I'm sure we have all said them at one point or another. But the things about ALL of these is--- Why can't you start doing these things BEFORE 1/1?

If you want to do one of these things in April, what is stopping you? Does Gandalf all of the sudden pop out and jab his staff into the ground saying "You shall not resolve!"?
(note, if this does happen please send me video evidence...)

Sure, some of them might be dictated by times (I.E. you want to go back to school but semester doesn't start until January or August)- but why not get yourself ready? You still have to apply and schedule your classes ahead of time. What's stopping you from picking up a book and start learning on your own?

You say you want to drink less but think it will be easier waiting until after the holidays? Guess what, start when it's hard and it can only get easier. Did you ever look at it that way?

I talk a LOT about my goals (typically my athletic goals on here, not necessarily my personal ones), I love goals and I think they are incredibly important(the little ones AND the big ones). So when someone asked me why I don't like resolutions because they are basically goals- I took some time to think about it.

What did I come up with? Resolutions are similar to goals yes, but they aren't the same. Resolutions are NOT a bad thing, my issue is when people feel they need to wait to start said resolution. Is there some law that says you can't resolve on another day of the year?

The other way I like to look at it is that resolutions are long term. Resolutions are the commitments that help you build a better life for yourself. Goals are the steps along the way to helping you keep that commitment. Resolutions are permanent- you don't make a resolution to quit smoking for a certain amount of time, you want to stop all together. So you make goals along the way to help you get to that point.You don't make a resolution to eat better for a certain amount of time- you want to turn that into a healthy lifestyle. 

Am I making any sense?

Let's replace resolve with commit 
and start making goals..NOW
Commit to losing weight, (set a goal to reach a healthy weight)
Commit to helping others more (set a goal to volunteer once a month)
Commit to quit smoking (set a goal to cut back by a set number each week)
Commit to educate yourself (set a goal to take one class a semester)
Commit to a better job (set a goal to update your resume and start looking)
Commit to save money (set a goal to put away $X each month)
Commit to get fit (set a goal to get to the gym  3 times a week)
Commit to eating healthier (set a goal to log your calories for a month)
Commit to manage stress (set a goal to take 15 minutes a day for YOU)
Commit to manage debt (set a goal to pay $X each month to your debts)
Commit to make a trip (set a goal to plan and save for it NOW)
Commit to the 3 R's (set a goal to take your recycles out once a week)
Commit to drink less alcohol (Set a goal to limit yourself to X drinks a week)

What is the best part about ALL of these? 
Nothing about them says you must wait until January 1st.

I guess what I am saying is, live your life and live it now. 
Don't wait to make your life better, don't wait to make yourself happier. 
Don't underestimate your abilities to handle change, 
and to do things differently than you have always done. 
Don't wait, because there is no guarantee tomorrow will come. 
Don't wait, because if you step outside your comfort zone- you just might surprise yourself how much you really are capable of.
Don't wait, because no one can change your life for you.
Don't wait, because you never know what will happen if you try today. 


Commit to something, and set goals to get there--anytime you want.

Thoughts?

12 comments:

  1. I'm not one for resolutions either...I like to come up with a goal and go for it!

    Now why would anyone commit to drink less???

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  2. Oooh this is good. In light of everything that's happened for me lately I'm disappointed in myself that I let myself continue to push things that I wanted off. While it may have taken a devastating breakup I'm starting NOW. No need to wait until NY to work towrads my goals/resolutions.

    =)

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  3. amen :) I feel like more people are beginning to think this way...or maybe those are just the people I surround myself with! It's the whole reason I started the #bestfoot idea, I just think every day is a chance to be better

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  4. I like that... "start when it's hard and it can only get easier." So true!

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  5. I think you're on to something with this. I'm more of a goal-getter rather than a resolution.

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  6. Absolutely! I used to be all about the resolutions and as I got back into my running and began to set goals with that I found that I was saying to myself, why do I need to wait until Sunday, when a new week starts? Do it now! I LOVE this: "Guess what, start when it's hard and it can only get easier. Did you ever look at it that way?"
    Great post! I also wanted to say thank you for taking the time to comment on my blog. I don't get nearly as much time as I'd hope to read blogs because of my needy 13 month old but I hope to work it in more! So, yeah, thanks for the cheers and congrats. I appreciate it! Happy soon to be 2014

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  7. I didn't set any resolutions last year. We set goals for ourselves throughout the year, when it's the right time, for us...big or small :)

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  8. I totally agree. I never make resolutions, I personally think they're dumb, especially if you're resolving to quit something. If you don't want to do something, quit immediately. You can't schedule a day to quit something and be successful, because you have to READY to quit. (when I quit smoking, it was in June, and it wasn't the first day).

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  9. Agreed! I don't resolve for the new year. I set goals for the year that are ever changing. It's about commitment and dedication to achieving said goals.

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  10. I am also not one for resolutions. I don't make them, but I do set goals and commit myself to a goal. Another difference is that goals can be flexible and can change/grow with you whereas a resolution seems very cut-and-dry, set in stone, etc. I do agree, if at any time during the year you feel like something in life needs to change... why wait?!?!

    I will say, my grandparents set a resolution to quit smoking years ago and they actually kept it up. I think it was on their mind for awhile, but it was more of a goal that they committed to on that day, at a truck stop (they were truck drivers) out West. They even put the money they would have spent in cigarettes in a bank/jar where they could see it to remind them of the goal and how much money they had saved. They still don't smoke to this day, it's amazing.

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  11. I agree with you. Although New Years seems to be a perfect time to start...new years...new slate...ect. At least for the majority of people. I think resolutions should grow into life commitments...whenever you start them.

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  12. You make a ton of sense. Though, in defense of people who do wait until the New Year, a lot of people have 2 weeks off from work, their out of routine, they're traveling, etc, etc, it's extremely tough to start a new habit while out of routine. So I can certainly understand why people do wait.

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