the tindog coffeehouse

Well, not really. I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, per se. In a way, it’s sort of a jinx, right? Like saying you’re going to accomplish a goal but without necessarily having a plan to do it. In a sense, you’re hoping that it will just happen on its own without having to make any difficult sacrifices. Now, I know that’s not true for everyone who makes resolutions, but it certainly explains why the gyms are full on January 2nd but practically empty a month later.

Anyone who’s had success in any area of their lives can attest to the fact that success–especially long-term success–is a process. Usually you can boil the steps down to a few basic principles, and then it’s just a matter of doing those basic steps over and over and over again. You want to lose weight? There are billions of different diets out there, but it really just comes down to eating healthier and exercising. Financial success? Pay off debt, live within your means, and invest for the future.

The hard part is not the “how,” it’s the “why.” It’s easy to get confused by all the millions of decisions along the way (low carb or whole grain, fat free or good fats, pay on this credit card or put the money back into savings), and slow results tend to lead to frustration. And that’s why most resolutions fail: because there’s no underlying drive and determination to help push you through the frustration.

I like how Merriam-Webster defines “resolution“:

the act or process of resolving: as a : the act of analyzing a complex notion into simpler ones b : the act of answering : solving

New Year’s resolutions are typically pledges to achieve some lofty goal, but that’s not what success is really about, is it? Instead of making a resolution, we should be seeking it.