Say you Want a Resolution?

The word "resolution" connotes finality... except around New Year's.  In March, a person who shows resolution remains unwavering.  In June, if an issue reaches a resolution, that issue is decided.  Even if you buy a television in September, a higher resolution implies more clarity and less fuzziness.

But around New Year's, "resolution" loses its aura of decisiveness.  It comes to mean something along the lines of "a casual wish for self-improvement".  A University of Bristol study concluded that 88% of New Year's resolutions fail.  New Year's resolutions, it seems, are far from resolved.

Many people dislike the concept of New Year's resolutions; I suspect it's because they see them fail so frequently.  When seven out of eight resolutions fall by the wayside, it gives the impression that self-improvement is an improbable goal.  New Year's becomes a reminder of the futility of hope and progress, and of the inevitability of the status quo.

Of course, if 88% of resolutions fail, that means that 12% succeed.  If a quarter of adult Americans make resolutions, around nine million people reach the New Year's goal that they set.  I love New Year's because it gives those nine million people an excuse to take stock of what they'd like to accomplish and to set out to achieve it.

The question becomes: how do you become number nine million and one?

One huge component of a successful resolution is that it's specific and measurable.  Don't just say that you want to lose weight.  Say you want to lose a pound a month.  Don't just say you want to read more; set a goal of reading twenty minutes before bed each night.

Pick something attainable.  Pick something realistic.

And finally, put something in stone.  It's easy to sign on a dotted line--and that easy decision can motivate and compel you to live up to the promises you've set for yourself.

If you're a runner, we'd love to be part of your resolution.  Sign up for The Hungerford Games.  Pick a race you think would be challenging, but attainable--then sign up!  Making a commitment is an essential step toward keeping the promise you'd like to make yourself.

If you're not a runner, be on the lookout for positive steps that are easy to take but hard to reverse.  Make it easier for yourself to go forward than to go back.  Use this New Year's season as a great excuse to set--and reach--your goals.