New Year's resolutions

Bobby Roy

Another year is upon us, which means it's time for people to start adhering to their New Year's "resolutions."
I put "resolutions" in quotations, because most people who choose one or several aspects of their life they would like to change don't actually follow through, and therefore don't resolve that aspect of their life they wanted to.
According to studies, of those who vow to make changes in their lives beginning each year, only 12 per cent actually succeed in doing so.
So, maybe they should be called New Year's "disillusions" instead.
That's a pretty sad number, but not surprising at all when one looks at the common types of resolutions people usually make.
Losing weight, stop smoking, getting out of debt and drinking less are probably tops on the lists of those who make a New Year's resolution.
Kudos to those who actually follow through and nail the goal they set out for themselves, because it's not easy to quickly change an aspect in one's life they've probably been doing for a long time.
It takes hard work, perseverance, will power, a realization there will bumps in the road to success, and support.
For example, getting in shape and being healthy is a lifestyle, not a quick, two month fix. It takes time.
I'm sure most of us want to change one aspect or another in our lives, but who has the time, money, or drive to do it, right?
That's a pretty lazy attitude to have, but I'm sure a lot of people have used this cop out one time or another.
I know I have.
"I'll do it tomorrow." "I'll start it next week." "Maybe another time."
For the most part, New Year's resolutions set people up for failure, because quickly changing one or many aspects in one's life isn't easy.
I can guarantee problems in people's lives don't pop up at the beginning of December and then January is the month to start correcting them.
If you're not at the weight you want to be in July, why not start then?
If you're broke in May, because you know you've been spending too much money for the past couple of years, why not start learning how to budget in June instead of starting in January.
People who truly want to change something in their life should want to do it as soon as possible.
What if one realizes on Mar. 14 they need to get more organized? Start making those changes a few days later, not on Jan. 1, because one will likely be even more behind and less motivated to change on Jan. 1.
Jan. 1 is a date that is too easy, lazy and will likely end in failure months later for whatever resolution one decides to make.
If one feels they need to make a resolution, do it the next day or few days. Waiting will only make it harder to change.