New Year’s Resolution — Why can’t we keep it

Ahhhh… New Year’s Resolution! One of the hard things to do in life. If it’s not D.O.A. at the threshold of a new year, it will surely meet its demise.  And yes, sooner than you think.

But why? Why? Why?!

Well folks, new year’s resolution is a change, and not a superficial one.  It is a change of your character, attitude or personality, and your momentum of habit you’ve been building in life.  Simply put, it is a change of who you are.

No wonder it is quite a task.  It has to be.  Just imagine if you try to change yourself, you would have to wrestle with your current momentum, the things you’ve been doing for years and has deeply entrenched as your habit.  It is so great that a new year’s resolution would resemble to a mere fragile wishful thinking, only to be shattered into fragments of disappointment.

If you don’t believe me, please review your past new year’s resolutions.  Let’s see.  Have you made a resolution to diet and exercise daily hoping to obtain the enviable model figure?  Or what about a resolution to emulate the love and kindness of Mother Teresa?   What about to do your best at school or work?  Be a better person?  Be generous?  Faithful?  Okay, blah blah blah….  I know you did.  But you didn’t last a day.  Alright, alright, a week!

The fact is you can’t simply change in a blink of an eye.  You can’t just tell yourself, “Tomorrow, I will be this or that, forever.”  And Poof! Done!

Nope! Sorry, it won’t work!  It would take a long arduous journey, which at the end you may or may not be successful.  Most probably, you’ll be the same replica of your younger years, though not in physical but mental and emotional.   Look at your grand parents.  They are more or less the same since you’ve known them, despite of annual new year’s resolution.  If they have been precipitating the forlorn faces of grumpiness since back when, rest assured they will continue to do so.  Likewise if they were loving and forgiving before, chances are they would remain the same today.

Okay I must concede, I’m not totally fair here.  Change can actually happen.  Forgive me, and allow me to acknowledge and salute those who made their resolutions worthwhile and successful.  I would say, “Kudos to you all.”

Yes, you can change.  You really can.  However, you have to muscle up your effort and persevere for quite a while.  Plus, you need a ton of patience to forgive yourself for some lapses.  But in order for you to stay in course through the end, you have to build sufficient momentum.

Momentum is the key ingredient.  It is achieved through continuous and steady pace of implementing the desired change.  In other words you have to keep going, without ceasing.  Bear in mind, you are facing against your stronger past momentum that could easily swallow up the new fledgling one.  So you never stop.

Let’s say, you wanted to lose weight next year and the plan of attack is 3x a week workout.  Then you need to keep it going week after week.   Put forth your best effort and prepare to persevere, for you would have to endure the sheer pressure of mental laziness.  In the event of any routine disruption, don’t distress yourself.  Instead give yourself a dose of patience and continue the regimen.  Again, keep on keeping on until the upward momentum has been firmly established.

How would you know it?  Easy!  When love is in the air, you have clinched the victory.  You would love what you’ve been doing.  The change would not only envelope your mind but your heart as well.  Thus the routine will be a part of your life.  You simply can’t go on without it.  And no one can stop you, not even yourself.

Indeed, it is hard to accomplish a new year’s resolution.  But if you fully commit your heart and mind into it, nothing is impossible.   Remember some people have done it, and so can you.  As the saying goes, “If one can do it, you can do it.”

Category: POWER, Self Improvement