Did you make any New Year’s resolutions? My daughter asked our family this question during Christmas break. She had obviously already thought this through as she was able to eloquently answer her own question. My wife, always the pragmatic one, laughed, and in Cantonese opined (and I’m paraphrasing), “Making New Year’s resolutions is useless. Don’t waste your time!” My teenage son, earbuds in, smirked, and turned away, too cool to give this question any consideration. Suggesting that he agreed with his mother. (Always a prudent choice.)
The question made me uncomfortable. On one hand, I had been contemplating New Year‘s resolutions since early December and subconsciously felt guilty that I hadn’t made it official by writing something down. While on the other hand, I agreed with my wife’s opinion, and subconsciously decided that I wouldn’t write anything down because I knew I would ultimately fail to keep my resolutions (again).
However, now, as 2019 has now begun, and I return to work, I realize that I make daily, weekly, even monthly “resolutions”. I even write them down in an excel spreadsheet and check the actions/accomplishments off as I them done. For example, I resolved this morning to write and publish my first blog of the year (Check). I also resolved to make the first draft of my 2018 Employee Performance Review (Check). Yay me! It’s been a productive day, and it’s not even noon yet.
It reminds me of a US Marines promotional campaign that advertised, “We do more by 9 a.m. than most people do in a day.” A comedian (Adam Carolla?) said something like, “Yeah that’s probably not the right message to send to your teenage boy target audience.”
