Well it's that time of year! Everybody has to make resolutions for self improvement. And lot's of resolutions! Some self appointed experts suggest that your future success and happiness depend on the quality and quantity of resolutions that you set. They tell us to start writing as though your future depends on it! Because it does! Those that fail to plan, plan to fail!
By simply setting the right resolutions, they claim, we can become an Olympic athlete, get down to our ideal weight, get that raise and take over the company!
Since the Majority of New years Resolutions are Abandoned So Quickly, Why Does Anybody Even Bother Setting Goals?
Why go to all the fuss?
Because The Desire for Self Improvement
is as Old as Civilization Itself.
Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, said
That sets a pretty high standard for all of us. Other religions have similar teachings. For example, the teachings of Islam require Muslims to be mindful of developing their integrity and conduct and continually thinking about their impact as individuals on the those around them and on society at large.
The desire for self improvement is part of our culture and seems embedded within us. That desire is part of who we are.
Are New Years Resolutions the path to self improvement? Not if you quit them after 2 weeks!
The Question We Should Be Asking Is How
To Make Our Resolutions Successful.
We've all started fires with a magnifying glass. I just read about an artist, who uses a large magnifying glass to melt colored glass and old bottles into artistic shapes. Sunlight certainly doesn't melt glass under ordinary circumstances, but by using the principle of focus it can.
The same principle applies to our goals and resolutions. If we set too many goals it will lead to failure. But focusing your efforts enough will lead to success. The issue is not that you can't improve, but how much improvement can you take on at any one time.
Hence the key to successful resolutions is this:
Do better, by doing less!
It's your choice:
Set 10 goals and fail miserably
or
Set 1 or 2 goals and succeed!
This year I am setting just one goal. It is something I have been working at for years. It is something that will make my life better. And I will succeed, because I am focusing on this single goal this year. After it has become a habit, I may set another goal without waiting for the New Year. Because that's the other thing about New Years Resolutions: You can set them anytime!
Take care and BE HEALTHY!
CW Jasper
January 2023
© 2023· Content is Property Created by CW Jasper
I have started making a theme for each year that I can focus my goals to realize that theme in my life. This year, I think I am trying "making a keeping memories". This is then the ideals that guide my focus all year. One year, I had the theme of gratitude. It focused my efforts every day. It was a pretty great year for me amid lots of hardship. It was 2020. I prayerfully select my theme and haven't given it much thought for this year. I guess it's time.
I have not really made New Years resolutions per se, but, I sometimes do decide throughout the year that I need change and make a commitment towards this goal I set for myself. I sometimes find obstacles in my path and have to solve problems in order to keep my goals. Sometimes this may take more than I year but I must keep trying until I reach what I am trying for. Thank you for the article, I found it helpful to think of self-improvement with a set objective in mind.