No Resolutions, No Disappointments

Last year, I made something resembling a resolution to read a half dozen books.  I was successful in accomplishing this and I actually felt great about it.  Mainly because they were books that were sitting on the shelf for quite a while.  I didn't look at this like it was a resolution because reading books is something that I do regardless of the situation.  Maybe I didn't think of it as a resolution because I know what a joke resolutions can be?  Who knows.

I look at the typical resolutions (work out more, eat healthier, drink less, etc.) and can't help but think that large goals like that just set people up for disappointment.  How do you track drinking less?  Well, I did it by only buying a case of beer once a month a few years ago.  It kinda worked.  I didn't drink quite as much at home, but found myself going out to the bars with friends a little bit more.  Setting such a broad goal for a resolution is the mistake.  Thinking to yourself, 'I'm going to lose weight this year.' is great, but how much?  Two pounds?  Fifty pounds?  How are you going to go about it?  You have to get yourself a plan.  Let's throw the number twenty five out there.  Let's say you want to lose twenty five pounds this year.  All you have to do is lose two pounds a month (and three pounds in there somewhere).  All of a sudden, losing twenty five pounds doesn't sound like a ton if you look at it like that.  Two pounds in one month?  Child's play.  All you would have to do is keep it off as the next month comes about.  

I have never really trusted myself with making resolutions.  It has to do with follow through.  I don't always have great follow through.  In 2010, I wanted to lose about ten pounds.  I finally lost it in 2012.  Whatever.  It happened.  In 2011, I wanted to start working out.  It lasted for a few months.  Reading the books last year was easy because I always do it, but I don't read quickly.  So I made a point to read six of them.  Setting a goal on something I already do made it easy.  No disappointment if I didn't meet my goal.  So resolutions should be made if you know you are going to meet the goal, not if you are going to reach the goal.

No better way to avoid disappointment than by not going out on a limb.