A New Year’s Resolution

I’ve been putting off even thinking about a new year’s resolution this year. Too often I come up with one and then let it go before the end of January. This then reminds me of what my mother used to always say to me,  “You never finish anything!”  and I end up in the rabbit hole. The fact is that I have far too little discipline for such things and  far too much that quickly draws my attention to new endeavors. If she (my Mom, may she rest in peace) only knew that my affliction had a name when I was young I might have worn a label instead of a perpetual look of despair. Neither ideal.

I suspect that any resolution(s) I make for a new year will go the way of my “list of things to accomplish in 2011” which I stumbled across quite by accident last week.  It was a spectacular list with 12 carefully thought out, well planned goals I really wanted to accomplish (in that very focused ten minute list making event). Eager to see how many I had accomplished a year later I read through the list. Wow! Did anyone ever say three out of twelve ain’t bad?? I doubt it.

The fact of the matter is this. The goals I set were goals that seemed worthy at the time. Many of them proved to be things I choose not to do. My list was really more of a brain storming session that when pared down resulted in the list that I actually did accomplish. At least this was the rationalization I used when my heart sank at my obvious failure, “you’re right Mom, I never finish anything”. I’ve come to understand that like rules, to-do lists are made to be broken. And so are resolutions.

A resolution is an idea of what we want to accomplish. It’s an idea that we want to improve, change, grow, stretch, improve our days and our lives. When all is said and done that’s the important part of the resolution, that we have decided we want to grow, or even that we’re open to growing, open to bettering ourselves and with that we’re half way home, maybe even three-quarters of the way home. So if we find another means to our end after the list is in place, so be it. I’m a little more at peace with myself and my life this year than last. It doesn’t get any better than that!

So my New Year’s Resolution for 2012 is this: I am going to print the quote you see below and place it on my mirror or bulletin board by my desk and read it as often as possible throughout the year. I may even move it around if I forget to look at it. That’s it. The rest will take care of itself. I invite those of you who share my affliction to do the same.

Happy New Year! May you hear and live your symphony.