Resolutions Don't Work

It's almost the R Month. 

You know, when we all (after a month of holiday indulging) start issuing promises to do better. We make … resolutions. 

• "I'm going to get in shape." 

• "I'm going to meditate." 

• "I'm going to write a book." 

And then life happens and those resolutions disappear like puffs of smoke from a chimney. 

Many of us break resolutions about 3 weeks into January. Or 3 days. Maybe 3 hours. (Some years are rougher than others.) Some people stick it out longer but the sobering truth is that 80% of people abandon their resolutions by the second week of February. 

And once again, we confront the perennial truth: resolutions don't work. 

But the real question is this: If resolutions don't work, why do we make them? And why do we keep on making them? Isn't there a better way? 

There is a better way. Resolutions don't work but you know what does work? 

Reservations. 

I'm serious.  

Pick a date on the calendar and commit right now: 

• To something 

• To anything 

• To improving. 

Select something you want to do or attend or compete in and make that reservation now. Sign up for something and put your money down. And then you'll have to see it through. 

For example, one year I kept kicking around the idea of completing a triathlon. It was a fun idea and I trained some … until I signed up for a sprint triathlon. And then I trained A LOT. Just the idea of that date on my calendar five months away was enough to send me onto my bike, into the pool, and even onto the running trail (which was not my favorite). Why? I made a reservation, not a resolution. Booked. Committed. Focused. Money on the line. 

So, let me ask this: what dream do you have for this coming year? Do you want to: 

• Write a memoir? 

• Paint? 

• Lead a team? 

• Meditate every day? 

• Learn something new? 

Whatever your dream is, don't wait. Sign up for something now, before the holidays. Commit and start planning now so that you set yourself up for success in the new year. Pick a book, pick a course, pick a new way you want to be you in the next year.  

Don't let this be another year where your good intentions drift away with the winter clouds and you find yourself wondering again what happened. You can do better than that! 

Resolutions may not work but reservations do. That's the good news. Start moving towards your dream. 

Ready to start right now? Check out these upcoming programs (or pick something else just for you!): 

• Path of the Courageous Heart with Sharon Salzberg and Omid Safi, PhD, Jan 31 – Feb 2. 
• The China Study in Practice with Thomas M. Campbell and MD Erin Campbell, MD, MPH, Jan 10 – 12. 
• Mindful Self-Compassion at Work with Christopher Germer, PhD, and Wibo Koole Jan 12 – 17.