New year, not entirely new you

December 30th, 2008 at 11:28am Mike DeDoncker

When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, I’ve whittled mine down to one that works – the same one every year.

I vow to be just as bad, but no worse, in the new year as I was in the old one.

This resolution works for me because the idea instead of resolving to lose a bunch of weight, improve my exercise routine or watch my spending more closely – all of which I would probably break just as fast as most anyone else — is to try to emphasize positives, the things that I think I already do well and do them more often in the new year.

It doesn’t matter if other people think I do them well,  just that I think so.

I think the same approach can work for anyone. Figure out two or maybe three things that you do well — politeness, generosity, leadership, or whatever — and practice them more often. You may find that that person who now emphasizes those positives is more motivated to drop those five pounds that have been hanging around for too long or has the willpower to finally put out that last cigarette.

You get a better, healthier, happier you and no resolution to make yourself over was needed.

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