Does anyone even try to make or keep New Year’s resolutions anymore? Surely not. What is the point? If we want to change a bad behavior or habit (smoking, drinking, eating, parrot wrestling) we should not wait until New Year – that gives us an excuse to carry on doing the thing until at least the 31st December – that can’t be right! If we know we should not be doing something, should we not stop doing it right away?
Year after year I used to make resolutions about dieting and exercising – then the following December, a fatter (I prefer cuddlier) me would make the same ones again with a different slant (who remembers the f- plan diet? – grim!). As the years went by (and there were many of them, yes, despite my youthful good looks!), I – and I suspect most of the rest of the world – took them less seriously, hardly bothering to try much after the first week in January.
Ok, so does this not mean we should not try to improve ourselves, or put right past wrongs? – of course not – it just means that 1st January should not be the day you will start to do better things – that day should be today!
There are some people who will reflect every day on what they can do better today, how that can put past mistakes right, how they can do some good.
I do not claim to be a ‘do-gooder’ – far from it – I have made more mistakes and bad choices in my life than most, I am sure. But I do now sometimes, not everyday, just sometimes, consciously try to think how I can be better, fitter, slimmer, kinder, more thoughtful.
For me, the end target is the motivator – I always consider WHY I want to do these things:
WHY should I go and talk to a friend I fell out with a while ago? – BECAUSE I miss their company, friendship, support.
WHY should I lose weight/ give up smoking? – BECAUSE I will look better, feel fitter and live longer – and my family want me around for as long as I am able to be.
WHY should I give up chocolate and bacon?......................... sorry, can’t think of a good reason.
Anyway, I think you get the point. By focusing on what we will be like, how we feel about ourselves and what our world will be like AFTER we have done what we really ought to do is the best motivator ever.
At one point in my life I was a single dad, doing a job I hated, with no money etc. etc. My job involved a lot of driving around in my car. I kept a photo of Peter, my 7 year old son, at the top of the windscreen – just so I could look up and be reminded of why I was doing what I was doing – it helped.
We are not perfect, well, I am certainly not. We are going to fail. We are going to disappoint ourselves and others. What is important is RECOGNISING when we do it and trying NOT to do it again, or if possible putting right what we have done.
Dear me, I have just re read this piece – am I sanctimonious or what? I do not mean to be – anyone can take any or all of what I have said, consider it and forget it, or maybe just try a bit of it - make NOW the time to put right old wrongs - especially those of you who owe me money – yes that’s right, you know who you are!
Here endeth today’s lesson. Sign up for the blog on the right if you like it (if you don’t, just close the door on your way out!) – you will get a free book about self publishing – a check list to help you work through the chores, by Shelley Hitz – an amazing author and advisor – you should check out her website when you have time - http://www.self-publishing-coach.com/.
Bye for now, happy writing. Here are the cat pics : -
Year after year I used to make resolutions about dieting and exercising – then the following December, a fatter (I prefer cuddlier) me would make the same ones again with a different slant (who remembers the f- plan diet? – grim!). As the years went by (and there were many of them, yes, despite my youthful good looks!), I – and I suspect most of the rest of the world – took them less seriously, hardly bothering to try much after the first week in January.
Ok, so does this not mean we should not try to improve ourselves, or put right past wrongs? – of course not – it just means that 1st January should not be the day you will start to do better things – that day should be today!
There are some people who will reflect every day on what they can do better today, how that can put past mistakes right, how they can do some good.
I do not claim to be a ‘do-gooder’ – far from it – I have made more mistakes and bad choices in my life than most, I am sure. But I do now sometimes, not everyday, just sometimes, consciously try to think how I can be better, fitter, slimmer, kinder, more thoughtful.
For me, the end target is the motivator – I always consider WHY I want to do these things:
WHY should I go and talk to a friend I fell out with a while ago? – BECAUSE I miss their company, friendship, support.
WHY should I lose weight/ give up smoking? – BECAUSE I will look better, feel fitter and live longer – and my family want me around for as long as I am able to be.
WHY should I give up chocolate and bacon?......................... sorry, can’t think of a good reason.
Anyway, I think you get the point. By focusing on what we will be like, how we feel about ourselves and what our world will be like AFTER we have done what we really ought to do is the best motivator ever.
At one point in my life I was a single dad, doing a job I hated, with no money etc. etc. My job involved a lot of driving around in my car. I kept a photo of Peter, my 7 year old son, at the top of the windscreen – just so I could look up and be reminded of why I was doing what I was doing – it helped.
We are not perfect, well, I am certainly not. We are going to fail. We are going to disappoint ourselves and others. What is important is RECOGNISING when we do it and trying NOT to do it again, or if possible putting right what we have done.
Dear me, I have just re read this piece – am I sanctimonious or what? I do not mean to be – anyone can take any or all of what I have said, consider it and forget it, or maybe just try a bit of it - make NOW the time to put right old wrongs - especially those of you who owe me money – yes that’s right, you know who you are!
Here endeth today’s lesson. Sign up for the blog on the right if you like it (if you don’t, just close the door on your way out!) – you will get a free book about self publishing – a check list to help you work through the chores, by Shelley Hitz – an amazing author and advisor – you should check out her website when you have time - http://www.self-publishing-coach.com/.
Bye for now, happy writing. Here are the cat pics : -
 LOOK INTO MY EYES Thank you Su Williams |  |
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