I’ve made a lot of New Year’s Resolutions over the years. The usual suspects have been: exercise more; stick to a reasonable budget; work less/play more. Sometimes I’ve succeeded, sometimes I’ve gotten halfway there, and sometimes I just ditched the whole shebang by the end of Week Two!
Apparently, I’m not alone. A recent study by the University of Scranton showed that 45% of Americans usually make New Year’s Resolutions, yet only 8% of people are successful in achieving them.
What’s the deal? Well, I’m no clinical psychologist, but I’d wager part of the problem is in what we’re choosing, or perhaps how we’re choosing. The same study revealed that the most popular resolutions are as follows:
1. Lose Weight
2. Getting Organized
3. Spend Less, Save More
4. Enjoy Life to the Fullest
5. Staying Fit and Healthy
6. Learn Something Exciting
7. Quit Smoking
8. Help Others in Their Dreams
9. Fall in Love
10. Spend More Time with Family
Hey, some of those sound familiar! But wait a minute. What if we decided to choose our resolutions in a new way? Try this…
Ask yourself: What are your three highest and most noble commitments?
Then ask yourself: What three things do you spend most of your time doing?
If there isn’t a lot of alignment in your answers to these two questions, this might be a great place to look. If each of us could spend more time committed to whatever we consider to be our highest and most noble commitments – whether or not they appear on the above list – it would be a year very well lived.
For me, in no particular order, they are:
1. Begin and end each day with gratitude
2. Seek to live a balanced and healthy lifestyle, one day at a time
3. Serve others with acts of kindness each and every day
There, it’s public now. I’d love to hear yours, too.
Friends, I’m raising a glass to a 2015 filed with love, happiness, prosperity and alignment for us all. Happy New Year…and GO PANTHERS!
Got a comment? I love ’em! Email them here and I’ll read and reply.
