Solve the real problem with New Year's resolutions

It's that time of year, the time when we decide whether we're really going to work at those New Year's resolutions or if we're going to chalk it up to another resolution failure. I hear people talking about this and I watch the buzz on-line, all the experts who have ways to help us stick to those resolutions and all the ways we're struggling to make a go of them.

And it makes me wonder.

It makes me wonder why we keep failing, and why we keep trying. Really, we've all been there, when New Year's Eve is looming and we're wondering what kind of resolution to make. And we hear that little voice in the background telling us it doesn't matter because we won't stick with it anyway.

I see myself and those I care about ride that roller coaster and I really wonder why we do it and why we fail so frequently. And this is the thought I've come up with:

We don't set our sights on something we really want and are passionate about "going for". We pick the same old things we've failed at before and we pick the things we know we "should" do. We "should" get more exercise. We "should" eat healthier. We "should" quit smoking. We "should" spend more time with our parents'. Then we try to use the New Year's resolution to fix our life.

But what if we took this fresh start and used it to really make our life better? What if we chose to work on something we're passionate about? What if we set up a program that can really work, maybe taking baby steps instead of trying to leap tall buildings? What if we took an honest and real look at our life and didn't try to change things that we "should" change but rather the things we want to change? I believe we'd be a lot more successful - and happier.

Action: Take a second look at your New Year's resolution and see if it's really a fit for you and your life. See if it's based in reality and built on desire and passion. If it's not, scrap it and pick a new one.


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