I don't make New Years Resolutions. And I don't feel guilty about it. I just feel no need to do so. Over the past few days, while reading all that is to be read out there in the Blogosphere, I started to think that I might just be the only person in this world that does not make resolutions. I started to wonder... why is that, is something wrong with me? Am I just that unmotivated? After my time spent in self-reflection, I have come to the conclusion that no, nothing is wrong with me (I know you are as relieved as I am, *smile*) it's just who I am. And I thing I've narrowed it down to the three main reasons I feel no need to make promises to myself I know I will more than likely not keep.
Why Wait?
I generally pay pretty close attention to how I spend my time and money. When I see something that is not right, I try to change it, right then. I don't want to wait on until I change the calendar on my pantry door to play more with my son or follow our budget more closely. I just do it.
Simplify.
Right now, it seems like everything I see online or on television is talking about simplifying your life But simplyfying my life is something I have always done. I have never felt the need to say yes to every question that comes my way, (in fact, I should probably say yes a little more often) my house is uncluttered, (thanks in part to this) and I devote most of my time to my family. I feel like my life is pretty well simplyfied and saying "no" to things like New Years Resolutions keeps it that way.
I Don't Set Myself Up For Failure
How many times have you made a New Years Resolution and not followed through? When I was younger, I would always make a resolution to save more money or read my Bible every day and I would never follow through. I never really made me feel like a loser, but it didn't make me feel exactly great about myself either.
What I do find myself doing this time every year, without really making a conscious decision to do so, is evaluating my life. I tend to thing more about where I am and where I want to go. It just seems like a time so ripe with possibilities that it's hard not to think ahead, to what all those blank boxes on my 2009 calendar will hold. One of those days will be the birthday of my second child, one of those weeks will be spent playing in the sand at the beach, but which days and weeks they will be.... I am not so certain.
So, I plan, I wonder, I take into account how I've spent my life thus far and what my life will hold in the future. No resolutions involved.