We’re at the waning days of the year and the same old same old topic has started to clog my newsfeeds. What’s your resolution? How to make this year the best year ever! How to really accomplish your resolutions. In years past, I would have opened each and every article, scoured their contents and distilled the salient points which I would work to replicate. Because who can’t benefit from some self-improvement? Goodness knows I certainly can.
Yesterday, though, when my sister asked if I’d figured out my resolutions for the coming year, I told her quite simply, “I’m not making any resolutions this year.” “What?” she replied, obviously stunned. Being my closest confidante, her surprised reaction made complete sense. Aside from being my closest sibling, she is my exercise buddy, wellness accountability partner, creative work collaborator and my dream sharer. She knows first-hand the myriad of goals I set and work towards accomplishing bit by bit. All in an attempt to replace my own criticism with accomplishment.
But this year, I decided that the resolution thing isn’t for me. Bear with me for a moment: I’m not saying that I’m giving up on goal setting. No way. What I am doing, though, is rather than engaging in the traditional resolution setting that includes writing down a list of ick I want to discontinue or change, I’m choosing to celebrate the positive.
What if we siblings, parents, children, partners, teachers, loved ones chose to continue doing good and positive and promote doing even more of the same? What if at the advent of a new year we reflected on all of the things we have done that make us proud of and set goals of continuing this practice and experiencing more of these good feelings? What if we reflected on the various ways we did good and worked towards replicating these good deeds? What if we made time for quiet and appreciating the small moments of beauty? Carved out time to spend with the ones that truly matter? Listened? Laughed? Expressed gratitude?
I believe that by focusing on what’s working rather than what’s not, we can move forward in a more productive way. By welcoming more good into our lives rather than struggling to push the unpleasant away, we are inviting joy. Good begets good. That’s why this year I resolve to keep on keepin’ on.
© Kathie Z.