I love second chances and, in my mind, every Jan. 1st gives me one. It’s so appealing to start fresh, getting another chance to make my life easier. If your life is grand already, you can hope that it continues into another year, and maybe tweak it some to make it even better. And if your life has been in the toilet, it gives you the chance to say, “Maybe next year will be better.” There’s usually a good reason for those old adages. “Hope springs eternal”, a phrase coined by Alexander Pope in 1733, describes this basic human condition. No matter how bad circumstances are, we can’t help hoping that better things are coming. Why else do we keep buying lottery tickets?
Since ruts are so hard to climb out of, instead of a laundry list of resolutions —aka good intentions —I’m picking just one this year. I’m hopeful it will multiply because one small adjustment sometimes leads to more; seeing something work is great motivation to continue. Admit it, seeing that bicep grow pretty much guarantees that you’ll continue to pump!
My goal is less TV in the evenings. Picking a daily habit is good because I have to work on it every single day. More chances of making it stick. The easiest way to change a habit is to replace it with a another one, so reading more is my replacement. I know I can’t read and watch TV at the same time. Planning for success: make sure a book is handy and in sight after dinner. This detail is important for me since “outta sight, outta mind” is soooo true. A noble plan, right? I’ll let you know.
My New Year’s wish is that you’ll try your own change. One that will improve your life and the way you see the world around you. Deliberate change takes determination, but getting an attitude adjustment is very freeing sometimes. A new perspective about a stressful situation has saved my butt many times. Oh, circumstances didn’t change, it’s just that I saw it differently and the anxiety gradually faded away. Reducing stress is a good thing.