I’m not actually a big fan of New Year’s resolutions. Why wait until one particular day of the year to commit to sweeping changes that you know you won’t stick to in the long run any way. If you were really going to change something, if you really, really wanted to, wouldn’t you have already done it?
I remember when I finally quite smoking for the last time. There was no fanfare, there was no “quit date”, there were no nicotine patches or gum, there was no Chantix or Welbutrin. I woke up one day and was done. I truly wanted to be a non smoker all the way to my core. I value the memory of that day because it reminds me of what true commitment really is. It reminds me of what making a real decision feels like.
There’s a saying that I like. “I see your lips moving, but your actions are speaking so loudly that I can’t hear what you are saying.” In other words, you might be telling everyone else and yourself one thing, but if you are doing the opposite, what you say doesn’t matter.
This week’s quote, I think, relates well to all that. It doesn’t say to make a bunch of big promises today. It says that there are 365 upcoming chances to be great. There are 365 chances to do right by yourself. There are 365 chances to become the person you truly want to be. Not the person you say you want to be, the one you really want to be.
It says that the only person’s opinion that matters is yours. You are the author of the next year. No one else gets to write your book. You don’t get to hire a ghost writer. Those pages will only be filled by things you put there.
So it’s time to make a decision. Is this year going to bring positive change? At the end of it, will you look back and be happy with the progress you’ve made? Next December 31st, will you look back and say “I’m glad I did” or will you say “I wish I had”?