I am resolved – that vows like these, Though lightly made, are hard to keep; Wherefore I’ll take them by degrees, Lest my back-slidings make me weep. One vow a year will see me through; and I’ll begin with Number Two.
– Rudyard Kipling
2020 is upon us – the beginning of a new year and a new decade. It’s the same thing that was happening in 2010. Every year we make resolutions to change things in our lives. Most of the time they are things we really don’t want to change but feel the need to at least engage.
Oddly, these resolutions usually center on our health – what we should and should not do. My friend, a pack-a-day smoker for more than 30 years, is vehemently trying to quit. He has tried every conceivable option: cold turkey, the patch, cutting down. Every year he tries, but we have not made it to Three Kings’ Day and already he’s got a pack of smokes on his person.
My significant other is militant about losing some holiday pounds.
It’s very easy to make a decent attempt at maintaining resolutions when they are obvious because, well, they’re obvious. If you were seeing double at the Christmas party – I know I was – maybe you should reassess your drinking habits. If you have just received your third speeding ticket on Interstate 26 – How is that possible? – you probably should promise yourself that you’ll pay just a little bit of attention to those pesky speed limit signs. If you’ve just binge-watched 47 hours of Netflix, you might think about resolving to get a job.
If you consider Yoga to be exercise, that’s fine, but let’s face it, there is absolutely no cardio. If your resolution is a plan to eat more healthy, that’s fantastic, but it will cost you. Every time I walk out of an organic market, I realize that I have spent close to a hundred bucks, and I gotta go to the ATM and shop again the next day. If your resolution is to spend more time with your family, that is absolutely splendid, but remember that Todd may get that promotion you’ve been after because he was networking with the boss while you were whiling away a sunny afternoon on the golf course.
We make resolutions every day: Try and be more patient and try to listen more; try not to get angry and resentful at work; try something different now and then. Resolutions are so important because they help us check ourselves and hopefully aid us as we travel along our daily path in life. That path is full of promise, and resolutions big and small will push us further up the mountain of success. Whether your resolutions are based on faith, love or conviction, 2020 is ready for your renaissance.
Rick Baker