Resolutions I can stick to – I’ve got this!

When people say Happy New Year, they are delivering a phrase that covers the entire 365 days and not just January 1^st or New Year’s Eve. Sometimes I feel it is more of a greeting than a wish, dream or a prayer. A way to accomplish this pleasant time frame usually is by stating and sticking to one or more New Year’s resolutions. I said stating and sticking to, not stating and breaking. The truth be told, resolutions are goals that should be made anytime you think you need them.

Resolutions are therefore, not bound to a certain time of year, nor should they be view with hopelessness. We know resolutions are like goals. They should be grounded in reality and have a starting point, such as the first of the year, the first of the week / month or the next day. Some have resolved that from this moment on they will never do dot, dot, dot, such and such or whatever.

I have elected to do a resolution state of mind approach this year. I plan to move to evolution in my resolutions. According to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary there are many definitions for resolution. Most of them are covered in a resolution state of mind. Here are a few of my personal favorites:

Determination
Clarity – the measure of sharpness of an image
Decision or declaration
Deal to end a conflict
Separation of a chemical compound or mixture into constituents
Formal expression of an opinion

If I roll all of these definitions into a mental framework, I arrive at the following way of thinking. In 2012 and beyond, I am going to resolve to be;

Clearer in my dealings with people so that they understand my messages and intentions
Stand for my values and beliefs to minimize any disconnect between intent and actions
Be the peacemaker in conflicts, by understanding people and myself on the way to better conclusions

Why limit it to 2012. For as long as I am alive I will think this way. I can apply this mindset daily to my actions. I can ask myself, am I moving the ball forward? What is the ball and where is it now and which direction is forward? Is there evidence to include in my journal to support my follow through on these matters? Inherent in this comment is the need for a journal and some plan around using it.

I can eliminate my failure rate with resolutions by simply asking if I am improving and growing in the areas that mean the most to me. If I adopt a mindset of am I clear, firm in my positions and being a peace maker, I should successfully tackle any resolution in the end zone of life for a safety in my favor.

I am not speaking against formalized resolutions. But if you have a resolution mindset that has an evolutionary component set on growth, you will flow in the direction of your dreams. You will constantly calibrate and recalibrate to ensure you are on the right path and clearly in the center of your lane. You will not beat yourself up for failing to reach a goal that has not been first fully accepted in your mind. You will make process even if you digress from time to time. The objective is the same as running a marathon. When I trained for the two marathons I ran, I remember reading in Galloway’s books on running and the books by Jim Fixx. They basically said to keep moving. Whatever happens, keep moving. I know that if you are going to achieve momentum for your resolutions you have to keep moving. Movement is essential to momentum I use to tell my sales people.

So New Year’s resolutions are not events of the past, but a state of mind to help you deliver a better year than prior years, a level of performance that meets your expectations and give you the quality of life you so richly deserve.