What Happened to Making New Year’s Resolutions?

My brain developing a resolution.

When I was attempting to decide what to have for a snack on New Year’s Eve I happened to remark I planned to make better choices this year to drop a few pounds. Without any subtlety, my wife a-truly-caring-compassionate-stand-by-your-side-no-matter-how-ridiculous-you-make-me-look-only-criticize-to-help-you-improve-partner-for-life said, “How cliché.” My normal response, as any truthful husband can attest, would be to render a “Just you wait and see,” defense. For some odd reason, my reflexes possibly compromised by the lack of sleep the previous couple of nights and a rather tasty IPA at dinner, I said nothing and began to reflect on my tremendous lack of success in the world of New Year’s resolutions.

Gaining some clarity.

One of the greatest barometers I have found for measuring the quality of commitment to New Year’s resolutions is the February 28^th attendance at my health club. Having been a member of a health club for the past 25 years, eight of which have been at the facility I currently use three times a week. It used to be five times a week, but when I joined a yoga studio sixteen months I cut it back to three. One constant among the three clubs to which I have belonged is the fluctuation in membership, or more accurately attendance, at these clubs between early January and late February.

Locker rooms fill with unfamiliar faces, many cling to every word offered by the personal trainer providing the three complimentary sessions that come with the special January enrollment. Other grimaces harbor a slight familiarity; like they may have used the elliptical next to you a year ago or dropped a weight they were trying to get on a bar somewhere near your toes around January 2010.  If the affordable care act truly wanted to become affordable they might offer incentives to individuals who paid for a year membership in January and made routine visits to their health clubs in March through December. Cost of locker room maintenance may increase, but coronaries may fall.

An epiphany. 

While exercising and dieting may top the list of resolutions people make at New Year’s, they are not the only goals they set as they unwrap a new calendar. With the economy finally starting to show signs of improvement a number might declare their intent to find their ideal job and make what they are worth—yeah, like that’s going to happen; remember this is satire at its worst. A few may even get the notion this is the year of their entrepreneurial prowess and explore getting a small business loan to open that nose hair and follicle removal store they’ve always dreamed of owning. Or, one might plan to write the great American novel. Oh, wait; I already did that. Well, the goal might be to get it published, and not by some do-it-yourself-so-you-can-pretend-to-be-an-author-outfit.

Maybe, all you really want to accomplish in the New Year is to improve your relationship with your spouse, parent, sibling, child or friend. Perhaps, this is the year to finally put together the puzzle in the box you’ve had for a decade, or fix a broken chair, plant a garden, clean a garage, take an extra vacation or listen to some vinyl records.

No matter how cliché, the question isn’t whether to make the resolution; the question is will the resolution remain filled with good intentions or be kept.