It’s been almost two months and for most, those fervently held promises have already flown out the window.
Let’s face it, most people’s new year’s resolutions barely last the week.
My own resolutions have been on repeat for the past 20 years. Once broken, you know you have next year to do it, or the next, or the next. And every year you tell yourself that this will be the year.
Inspired by the dreams of new beginnings, you ride that wave of new hope and new ambition, sword held aloft, throwing your arms wide to take on all challenges. And of course, this year, the changes will shine. You will walk a golden path with a gleam in your eye and a skip in your step.
This year, you will tackle new sports, new fitness challenges, new interests. You will be slimmer, wiser, a better you. Your work will benefit. You will sleep more and bound out of bed ready to face a new day. Your calendar and your cup will be full.
I feel my optimism rise as I write these metaphors. I feel my nerves tingle and my hope rise again.
And yet I know that I am weak. Yes, I can keep secrets. Yes, I have been described as annoyingly optimistic.
Yes, I can spur others on to cross their finish lines. But for me, it doesn’t take much to fall.
But there is hope at hand. Because this year my new year’s resolution was to have no resolutions at all and so far, I have been successful. This year, I didn’t even think about it. This was the year I learned from my mistakes. And I feel better knowing that this year, I can’t go wrong.
And surprisingly, I am doing pretty well. Not only have I lived up to my own non-resolutions, but I have been watching what I eat (and not just watching it go down the gob), trying to exercise and I even had a week in bed (OK it was a hospital bed, but still there was a lot of sleeping involved).
On a year with no expectations, I am exceeding them all. Perhaps my goals in the past have been too big. Perhaps I should plan to lose 5kg instead of 10kg. Perhaps I should walk three times a week instead of seven.
Perhaps I shouldn’t blame a year that slips past too quickly. This year so far has been about savouring those moments and making the best of unfortunate situations. And already there have been many.
Oh well, I can ride those waves and I can do it all again next year.
