Reflections on Resolutions

A resolution, whether it is about fitness, nutrition, or your lifestyle, needs to be carved in the spirit of the meaning of the word.  A resolution is more than something we make at the beginning of a New Year.  It’s something we contemplate at the end of one as well. The concept of resolving something means that before beginning a new chapter, if it’s nutrition, or financial investments, or whatever, we need to realize that the past contains useful information to the future.  Afterall, how can we figure out where we’re going before we take the time and effort to understand where we’ve been.

An unmet fitness goal, a weight loss goal realized, loom important to future goals.  The person we’ve become, the hopes realized, and dreams pursued, the missteps and the choices that led us to where we are in the here and now, all figure in.

Typically, we create lists upon lists of goals. We envision the new year to bring our hopes into being. If no time is invested evaluating the pas, we are loosing windows of opportunity. For some, looking at the past is scary. It brings up emotions that we may rather stay hidden, locked away. But we can’t hide from our past. Whether we like it or not it’s a part of who we are but it doesn’t have to define where we will go. For some, the past makes us feel sad.

Perhaps we’ve strayed from the person we had hoped we would become, perhaps we have lost sight of what’s important in life, of who is important in life. Or perhaps looking back makes us feel guilty of the things; the people and the memories we left behind. Creating meaningful resolutions means walking in the shadows of ourselves.  For some, this can be an obstacle.

For some, remaining in the darkness is preferable. After all if you ignore what you need to change, you have no responsibilities. But responsibilities and “growing pains” are the reasons we live life. We are here for one thing – to improve who we are! Not to compare ourselves to this person or the other, but to compare ourselves to who we are meant to be.

Feeling guilty never helps anyone. It only gives us the reason for doing it again.  When resolving to make resolutions be careful not to allow the gap of where you are to where you want to be crush you.  Don’t let it stop you in your tracks preventing you from taking the first step. We can’t climb a mountain overnight. But we can take steps each day to ensure we reach the top.

Resolution comes from the Latin word resolvere which means to loosen or release.

When we think of resolution – the concepts of being determined, firm and strong willed come to mind.

When we look closely,  we see that to make a lasting resolution, we need to have a light touch.  We need to take a moment to step back, reflect and experience true release.

Only by doing so can we begin to break things down into its parts. Once we do that, we now have a blueprint instead of one larger than life goal.  As I always say, Dream BIG, and use small steps to get there! Don’t forget to list the small steps you will need to take to turn that dream into a reality.  But be aware!

Break goals down into their specific parts is as important as specifying the resolution itself.  Don’t focus on how you are going to get there. The path will bubble up on it’s own as you are going through the process. It can blind you from seeing other pathways you never knew existed. A true resolution is a perfect meld of both release and control.  It is a  balancing act between being cautious and risk taking.     Too much of either can leave you feeling empty.

Some information adapted from Orly Wahba