“In 2019 I will not attend any night party or expose myself to security risks like keeping late nights”. “This new year, I will pay more attention to my family and care for them more”. “This year I will not take alcoholic drinks or smoke any cigarette”.
After you made your New Year resolutions what else did you do? When it’s no more 2019 does it mean you will go back to keeping late nights? When the year is older; say by the second quarter, will you pay less attention to your family? Or will you resume smoking by next year? Many questions come to mind when I listen to New Year resolutions.
Year in, year out we do the same things expecting different results, but we get to the end of the year discovering we have made no progress or we would have achieved more if we did things differently. It’s good you are reading about this in the fourth week of the year, so you have enough time to make adjustments to strategies and plans for better results.
I will like you to know that I am not against making New Year resolutions. What I am campaigning against is making these resolutions by words of mouth and having no definite plan of action. You might have made same resolutions for three to five years now; trying to quit a habit, or achieve better career results or even attain higher spiritual connections and status. The truth is if care is not taken to change strategies or rise above the status quo, you are likely going to repeat same resolutions for 2020.
A resolution is a resolve, being resolute about something or a decision. These are strong words; they depict strength and determination. So a resolution is not something you make to fulfil all righteousness or fit in the bandwagon. It is a decision that should be made with strong convictions and commitment to back its implementation.
After you decided on stopping bad habits or forming good attitudes or characters, what other steps or procedures did you take to help monitor progress on your resolve? For instance, if your New Year resolution is to take your academics more seriously; you should go on to take practical steps that will serve as checks and reminders. You could develop a personal reading timetable, form a reading and discussion group and register with the library in your school or down the road in your neighbourhood.
You decided to quit smoking cigarettes, what actions have you taken to help you live your plan or goal? Have you decided on what you will spend the money on anytime you feel the urge to get a cigarette? You could decide to always by a pencil or candy with the cash anytime you feel like smoking. Have you communicated your goal effectively to your peers who you used to hang out with?
Now that you have resolved to stop keeping late nights, what plans do you have for those days when your girl friends call you up for the ‘biggest party of all time’? Did you make plans to watch a movie indoors, read a novel with the time or just study instead of joining them for the party? What strategies have you put in place to achieve your goals and desires? Words are empty when there is no commitment and action to back them up.
In your family life and business, how have you structured these positive changes to work? Your kids or spouse and even your parents or siblings will be glad to have you around more often; they will love to know that you care about them through your phone calls, text messages or emails. They will appreciate all these more when they know that it will last a lifetime.
When they see a change in your work schedule; when they see that you deliberately keep the laptop computer off the table while you are at home with them. What practical steps have you taken to make your resolutions stand?
You made up your mind to be more punctual at work or your personal business, yet you wake up at the same time as last year; you determine and iron the outfit you want to wear that morning. Wouldn’t it be more feasible if you woke up 30 minutes or an hour earlier and had your clothes ironed and prepared during the weekend?
Making New Year resolutions are good- coming up with strategies and plans that are practicable to help keep your resolve will make a huge difference this year.
