New
Year's Resolutions
“Always
bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important
than any other.”
Abraham
Lincoln
We're
a few days away from year's end, and it's time to consider what our
resolutions for 2013 will be. Most of us have a long litany of good intentions that we know will be abandoned by the first of February, and a very short
list of resolutions we hope to keep. I suggest we write all
of them down and then use the long list to light our New Year's
fire—it's got to be good for something, right? Afterward, go
through the calendar for 2013, and write the other two or three—the
keepers—at the top of each page. I have two: finish the book that's
been languishing for four years, and begin working out at the gym
three times per week. That's it!
Between
now and January 1st, I am going to do a couple of other
things that are taunting me like Scrooge's bad ghosts. One is to
reorganize my office, and for the hundredth time, get rid of the
accumulated stacks of paper. The other is to reorder my sewing room
for maximum efficiency. At the moment, it looks like an explosion in
a textile factory. Who can work in such a mess! If there are things
you need to do in preparation for the New Year, especially if they
are preliminary steps toward accomplishing your goals, do them now. Clearing out the clutter is a good starting place.
I've
found that telling my resolutions to at least one other person, makes
me feel a bit more determined to keep them. So many people have asked
me, “How's the book going?” for instance, that it's just
embarrassing to keep equivocating. “Oh...it's coming along...” I
have to finish—one way or another—either by throwing it in the
trash, or by sending the final rendition to the editor. If there's
something that you really want to accomplish, I recommend that you
choose two people who will help you stay on track. Two who can be
relied upon to provide encouragement, or a good, swift kick in the
butt. Team efforts work best.
Most
of the time, we take our New Year's resolutions with a grain of salt.
We make them knowing that we are not serious. But if there is
something that you truly want to do, or need to accomplish, get with
the program. Take Abe Lincoln's advice to heart, and make your own
resolution to succeed more important than anything else.
In
the spirit,
Jane
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