The New Year's Resolution - try setting an anti-resolution

So the New Year is close to approaching and like the vast amount of people in the world, you are probably thinking what kind of resolution you should set for yourself. Would you like to lose weight, eat healthier, spend more time with the family, or just make more money? The list of resolutions is endless. The problem is, the list is also damn near impossible… hence why each person sets the same resolution year after year.

So, here is my thought… instead of setting a resolution… set an anti-resolution. Promise yourself you aren’t going to fall victim to the goals you set year after year. Instead, set a resolution to not set these resolutions. In fact, go as far away from these resolutions as possible.

This resolution is probably one of the most abused resolutions out there. It is also one of the most failed resolutions of all time. After all, if you were successful, why would you need to set this resolution year after year. Usually when setting this goal, it is followed by a pound amount. For the purpose of this article, the pound amount is irrelevant. It doesn’t matter if you want to ditch that last five pounds or if you have 100 pounds to lose. If you are setting this resolution over and over again… it doesn’t matter how much weight you have to lose, you haven’t done it yet. That means you will be devastated once again when you give up on this resolution one more time.

So here is my thought… don’t stress on the weight loss. Setting this as a resolution will just cause more stress if you fail. The stress will cause more cortisol in your body, which will probably add more difficulty to losing weight. You might even doom yourself to weight gain instead of weight loss! Therefore avoid the scales and just be happy with who you are. The stress will melt away and who knows, the weight might follow suit. By not setting this resolution, you might find it happening without even trying.

This resolution has several different points to it. It is so vague that this resolution comes with its own zip code. It can include eating healthier, starting a workout program, quitting smoking, or even drinking less. Those are just the top remedies to living a healthier lifestyle. Once again, I am going to advise that you ignore these resolutions as well. I will go into this in a little bit more depth…

If your resolution is to eat healthier, I say stop what you are doing. After all, if you don’t like shoving vegetables down your throat and you don’t enjoy your V8 for your morning breakfast, chances are high this resolution probably won’t make it past the first week. They say you can train your taste buds, but why would you want to and does it really work. After all, I have tried to suffocate down hot dogs for years (it’s a cheap meal) and I still don’t like them.

Instead, this is what I suggest. Overeat. Eat until you can no longer move. Eat chocolate for breakfast and ice cream for supper. Is this healthy… no! That is the goal. You see, if you vow to eat nothing but sweets and junk food, eventually you will become sick of it. The thought of eating one more piece of chocolate will become nauseating! Do this for a couple of days and I can guarantee you will start craving those fruits and vegetables. Now doesn’t a nice salad sound appetizing right about now?

Starting a workout program is another task people add to their agenda. It is also another task people will fail on. Granted, you might be good for a week. If you are really dedicated, you might even last a month. You will also probably find yourself investing in that gym membership to keep yourself motivated. This will not work. Believe me, I have spent thousands of dollars investing in exercise equipment and gym memberships only to gain weight. Owning a membership does not make you go to the gym. It does however help you lose a few pounds - only because your wallet is getting lighter! Once the aches and pains set in, and the moment that excuse comes where you are too tired and you will do it tomorrow, your resolution has been officially tapped out!

Quitting smoking and drinking less both go hand in hand. The reason this is going to fail is because it is an addiction. For most people, they need assistance to get over an addiction. To wake up January 1st and say you are never going to smoke another cigarette or have another drink is ridiculous. If you have the will power to wake up and just not give into your addiction, either your not a true addict or I am confused as to why you waited so long. People would die to have the super power you have. I have never had a drinking addiction, so I guess for this I can’t say much. As for smoking, it is a love/hate relationship. I have been a smoker and a nonsmoker. It goes back and forth. Depends on the day and depends on the year. I have quit cold turkey and I have also started just because I was bored one day. So, my advice, choose to quit when you are good and ready. If you are not ready January 1^st, this resolution will also be a big fail!

Now I am not going to tell you not to spend time with your family. This one is a no-brainer. They are your family and you should spend as much time with them as possible! If you have to set a resolution to spend more time with the family, what is wrong with you? Now if this is your resolution because you spend too much time at work, this is another resolution that will fail. After all, unless you plan on changing careers or quitting your job, this will probably never happen. It is a sad reality but a true one. To have a family, you need a job to support them. Obviously, quitting your job is not an option. You still have to put food on the table and clothes on their back! But, the resolution you can settle with is to make the time you spend with them worthwhile. Plan quality outings and enjoy the time that you have. Unfortunately, we can’t get paid for spending time with our family. If that was the case, I am pretty sure most American’s would choose that as their job.

Okay, this one is just downright ridiculous. You can’t force your boss to give you a raise on January 1st. That means you have no ability to make this resolution successful; it is out of your hands. So you are setting yourself up for failure. The only jobs were this resolution would work is if you work off commission and you are in control of your wages. But, if that was the case, why weren’t you making more money last year.

My advice… don’t focus on the money. It will happen when it happens. So unless your resolution is to stand on the street corner and sell…. Lemonade… well, I guess you are just going to have to be patient and wait for your riches to come.

On the other hand, if you do want to make more money, get off your butt and work for it. There are plenty of opportunities out there. You can sell some of your stuff on Ebay or Craigslist (especially if it is just collecting dust in the corner and taking up space), or you can even start writing online and making money with Google Adsense. The possibilities are limitless. You just have to work for it.

So, while this article may seem very negative it does have a very positive thought behind it. Don’t set yourself up for failure. If these are goals you feel the need to set, why wait until January 1^st to set them. Either set out to start now or maybe start in the middle of the year when you are ready to commit.

If you want to lose weight and become healthier, start now. Who says you have to wait! Making smarter choices in your food selection is a great way to start, but remember, don’t deny yourself the occasional treat! This will keep you focused and will keep you from feeling deprived! As for an exercise program… remember that parking as far away from the building counts, as well as using the stairs instead of the elevator, as an extra form of exercise.

Setting the same resolutions year after year is the perfect way to set yourself up for failure and guarantee a fail every time. But, it is human nature to set these resolutions because even if you aren’t successful, it does set you up for hope in the coming year. I know each year I set goals for myself as well, usually the same ones year after year. This year, I vow not to set a resolution. I am setting an anti-resolution. Because once I have had my fill of the anti-resolution, I might be successful in the real goal set!