Resolutions: Every Day Offers a Chance

It is that time of year when many among us make resolutions. We resolve, or decide, to do something to improve ourselves or accomplish something that has been put off or proved elusive.  Are you in the habit of making resolutions? If so, how has that gone for you?

If we strive, on a daily basis, to improve ourselves in whatever area we desire improvement, then why is it necessary to make a New Year’s Resolution?  January 1st is an arbitrary date that has been designated the “start” to a new year.  After all, there are other dates that are designated “starts’ to a year. The beginning of the school year is an example. Your birthday is another example. The beginning of the fiscal year for a business could serve as an example of a new start.

My point is this – any day could be the start of a new year.  At any point, one can decide to make a fresh start.  You decide when to start a diet, when to drink less, when to exercise more, when to get better grades, how to live more sustainably, when to work less, when to spend more time with family, when to be a kinder, gentler person, when to be more tolerant, when to give without expecting anything in return, when to participate in community activities, and when to improve yourself, your life, or the lives around you. YOU decide – not the calendar.

So, on this day when the world celebrates the passage of time and designates a chance for a fresh start, remember that there are also 364 other fresh starts you can make. Each day is a chance to improve ourselves or our community. You did not have to wait until last night or this morning to declare your resolution. You can make a resolution ANY or EVERY day of the calendar year!

Since this is the case, if you do make a resolution and it does not work out, do not give in to guilt or shame.  We all know there are any number of reasons New Year’s resolutions do not get accomplished.  Just pick another day and resolve to start again. Making ourselves “better” or doing “better” is a process. Processes are filled with ups and downs, successes and failures. But, as long as we are trying, REALLY trying, to be better people, we will get there, both as individuals and as a species.

Each day should be a chance to start a resolution, not just January 1st, and certainly, not just once a year.  Happy 2018 – 365 chances for resolutions and starting anew.