Why I don't make New Year's resolutions

January 1. My resolutions for 2010:
1) Send my brother one letter a week and one care package a month
2) Adopt a cat/dog from the animal shelter
3) Volunteer more frequently at the food kitchen
4) Learn how to clean a Colt. 45
5) Find a store in Vermont that carries Warsteiner Dunkel

Above is a list of my New Year's resolutions for 2010. I did not do any of those. The closest I got was sending my brother an email once a week and a care package once or twice. Anytime I have ever made silly NY resolutions, about two weeks into it, I give up. I think the reason it is so easy to break resolutions is because in order to resolve to do something, you have to plan it out in your mind then actually carry it out. Just because you say you are going to do something, doesn't mean it will actually happen.

In addition, you need to be in the right frame of mind. Sure, someone might want to lose weight but until they are in the correct mindset, it isn't going to happen and they are going to sabotage their efforts. This is why I stopped making resolutions. I don't know what I was drinking last year to make those, but obviously it didn't work.

Instead of resolutions, I work on life changes. When I decide to change something in my life, I think about what needs to be done to accomplish it. Rather than say, I want to lose 20 pounds, I decide to work on eating healthier and being more active. By defining how much weight I want to lose, I get frustrated because I want it to happen all at once, then I get angry at myself, then I get depressed then I give up. By working on making a life change to eat healthier, if I cheat one day (or two), I don't beat myself up. The next day, I just go back to eating healthy again.

So far, this plan has worked quite well for me. I really focus on one area that I want to make a difference in, and work on it. I think 2011 is going to be a great year. How can it not after the mess that was 2010? : )