New Year's Resolutions

            It is New Year’s Eve once again. This means that it is time to make resolutions or set some goals for 2019. Most people desire a happier and more prosperous life in the New Year, and most goals are set to help this better life come to pass. We all know that most goals are not met with many of them dropped a day or so later. Why does this happen?

            Boyd Matheson in an editorial at the Deseret News claims that “The essence of New Year’s is contained in `what if?’” What would happen if we were all successful at meeting the goals that we set for 2019?

The turning of the year is filled with an abundance of hope, inspiring dreams and renewed optimism. There is something magical about the fresh start emanating from a new calendar that promotes big goals, fosters new resolutions and drives an inner desire to do better. The essence of New Year’s is contained in the simple question, `What if?’ As in, what if this is the year for all of those hopes and dreams to become a reality?”

            This is an intriguing thought! What if I was finally able to lose those five pounds that I have worked on losing for years? What if I did break the habit of walking into sacrament meeting just after it started? What if I miraculously stayed on a regular schedule of meals and sleep? These are just a few of the areas that I should correct in order to have a happier and more prosperous 2019. After asking a lot of what if questions, Matheson offers the following answer.

A new year offers each of us new challenges and new opportunities – what we choose to do and how we choose to pursue those challenges and opportunities will determine the success of our days, weeks, months, years, careers and personal legacies. For many, the anticipation of what might be swiftly falls in the face of procrastination or even just pleasant distractions….

The challenge then is to be in a state of action – focused action, while remembering that guilt-producing perfection is not required nor is it even the goal. Trying, engaging and doing things differently [are] what matters and what leads to positive results. The test for each of us individually and all of us collectively is to take our “what if” and make it a “what is!” in 2019.

            There is one possible answer -- stop procrastinating and getting distracted. Another possible answer is to stop setting too many goals at one time or trying to do more than time allows. Maybe I could achieve my three goals listed above if I worked on them one at a time. I think that I will try this method in 2019 and begin with my Sunday behavior. This seems to be a good place to start because it is the simplest behavior to change.

            Even though I live less than five minutes from the meetinghouse, I seldom leave in time to arrive there before the meeting starts. This obviously means that I need to do something different, such as setting an earlier time of departure. If I take ten minutes longer to leave the house, I should set my departure time ten minutes earlier. Just to be safe, I will plan to leave the house thirty minutes before the scheduled time of the meeting. This would allow time for any last minute complications and still allow me to meet my goal. I will try it next Sunday to see if it works. Once I have my Sunday tardiness corrected, I may have other tardiness problems solved too. Then I can tackle the pounds!