resolutions are for wimps

Do-overs. We all have attributes we might change given the chance. It’s time again to gather around the table and come up with yearly resolutions. Usually we start the new year off with good intentions to lose weight, work out more, break up with the boyfriend who is totally bad news, stop smoking (non-smoker here), drinking, gambling, etc. But let’s face it, resolutions are for wimps.

why resolutions are a weeny way out

Even considering some sort of promise got me Googling the definition. This one is from Oxforddictionary.com. Resolution: a firm decision to do or not to do something. Is this decision binding? Will you keel over and croak if you cheat, give up or simply forget about it?

potential mermaid here!

I regard these yearly commitments as a way to focus externally. Who cares if I decide to go to the gym more than once a week? First we make them, only to break them. Am I accountable only until I decide to ditch the resolution I made while tipsy from champagne? Yeah, I didn’t think so either.

how about an alternative?

If resolutions are for wimps, what should we do with empty promises made? An alternative I tried and liked was choosing a word to live by for one year. (this is not even the same so don’t go there) It doesn’t necessarily have to be a defining word, but maybe it describes one of your better personal characteristics.

During the year, hone in on this word, and really discover what about the word attracts you in the first place. Last year I chose the word Potential. 2012 I was a new MBA grad with all the potential in the world. Problem was, I unsure how to tap into the possibilities. I spent so much time focusing on school that I felt lost once I was finished

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Without going into gruesome details, I was able to move into a new career. As a social extrovert, I saw the potential a tail had to offer and became a mermaid. Made new friends, began blogging more consistently, and loads of other potential I can’t think of at the moment were discovered.

presence?

My first year out of school in nearly 6 years (2 degrees later) I found myself zoning out, turning off and shutting down. I could sit for hours playing solitaire, reading a book or goofing off on the computer. Engagement was lacking in a major way for a while. I have since made a concerted effort to remain present, but it continues to be a feature I want to focus on for 2013.

It is not enough to take physical space in a room. I want my presence felt by others. I want to make a difference and  have a noticeable effect on them.  I need to be present wherever I am whatever I am doing because the person or task deserves my full attention.

Remember presence is not a resolution. I think of it as an influential word. Hopefully if I surround myself with reminders I will zone in and turn on. No magical buzzer will sound if I dive into my fortress of solitude while playing writing on the computer. It always has been and will be up to me to be present of mind and body.

What is your opinion about New Year’s resolutions? How many do you have and how many will you keep? Please share your thoughts and stories. This post was inspired by MamaKat’s weekly blog workshop.

1.) Instead of a resolution, some people choose a theme word to live by for the year. Choose a word for 2013 and tell us why you chose it.