New Year Resolutions????
Consider this instead
Statistically by the end of January over 50% of the goals set just before midnight of a new year have been seriously hampered if not cast aside and resigned to the trash bin. And this is for any number of reasons: unrealistic goals, being overwhelmed with life, and not keeping track of the commitment. Many of the goals were praiseworthy and had to do with life-changing habits like eating better, losing weight, and purchasing fewer items on Amazon. The list of beneficial endeavors is endless.
It’s not for lack of worthy goals and a desire to improve our lives that New Year’s resolutions seem to fail before getting any real traction. One of the culprits might be overthinking the whole strategy as author Seppo Iso-Ahola in the Journal of Nature and Science said:
“[T]he problem lies with the internal battle between doing what you want to do and what you should do.”
What about just changing the focus, identifying something that is much closer to our hearts, something that deeply affects us and those around us. And maybe, in the long run ends up supporting weight loss, eating differently, feeling good about ourselves, and improving our relationships.
Why not consider being kind! I know it’s too easy, right?
Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952) believed that—
“Kindness is the light that dissolves all walls between souls, families, and nations.”
Now if that isn’t a worthy endeavor and something that has a broad impact, I don’t know what does. Despite its lofty reach, according to the above quote, kindness is something that everyone can do. Like love, kindness is an action and requires giving of ourselves. It’s a gesture that is selfless, all-consuming; and expects nothing in return. You can probably reflect on moments in your life when someone showed up at just the right time, shared an incredibly meaningful message or gift and you stood with awe and gratitude at the spontaneity of the interaction.
There are other benefits to expressing kindness:
it’s free
increases your self-worth
includes other people
and vibrates with the higher frequency of joy.
Should you doubt the efficacy of establishing a New Year’s resolution of kindness might I suggest a way to begin. Find some paper, a pencil, or pen and start to track the acts of kindness that you do for yourself; then keep adding to your list as the days and months unfold. This is like when you toss a pebble into a pond, the ripple effect continues even after the small stone has hit the water. Perhaps, that’s why Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1931-2021) an icon of anti-apartheid and a tenacious defender of justice and civil rights became so well known because he held onto this motto:
“Do a little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”
There you have it a formula to begin a new year. A stress-free practice, no gym membership, no sweating it out at the track, no new diet, just be kind and watch what happens! Happy New Year.