Resolutions, Goals, and Excuses

Resolutions are funny and predictable. We all make them, then we all break them. We all make these resolutions with seemingly good intensions. What motivates us to make such grand claims and changes? For those of us who are goal oriented, this activity could be a jumpstart towards a career goal or a lifestyle change. For others, it is a way to draw attention to themselves. Either way, or whatever your motivation, we usually "fall off the wagon" and our resolution fades into the abyss of New Years past. We then make excuses for our "failures."

We need to resolve not to resolve in 2010. Instead, we need to live each day with small attainable goals. Like most 12-step programs (fortunately I have not been in one. . . yet =) ) if you live one day at a time trying to be the best you you can be, eventually, you will get on a roll and gradually make a huge impact on your life and those around you. I drive by the Polanar fruit factory (the "jelly" makers) several times a week. Outside they have a sign that counts the days in a row without an accident. They had a safety record of 400 days in a row. I drove by one day and it was back to 2. The same type of attitude should be taken regarding our own goals. One day at a time, building up a string of days of progress. If we fall off, it is not an excuse to quit, it is an opportunity to start again. Keep a record, a journal of what you are doing, what progress you are making.

I appreciate what Polanar is trying to do through its posting. I like the idea of trying to break a record for efficiency and keeping track of daily progress. However, think about the psychological hit one takes when they go from 400 days in a row back to 1. I would love to see an addition made to the sign that provides an overall running total. 400 days in a row, one bad day, another 300, one bad day. . . .Do the math on that. 700 good days and 2 bad. That is a 99.7% of the time efficiency. However, the jelly workers are now sitting on day 2 and feeling bad about themselves. It is OK to have a bad day once in a while. You want to build up your efficiency and longterm peformance.

Here is an idea. Keep track of each and every day you behave in the "newly resolved" manner. At the end of each week, each month, etc. give yourself a mark. If you were "good" 5 out of 7 days one week - that is a 71%. Well doesn't 71% beat 0%? We use our lack of accountability as an excuse to quit on our goals. If you take a step forward each day, by the end of the week you will be 7 steps down the road. When you make excuses, you are wasting valuable time dwelling on a perceived failure, instead of taking another step forward.

I resolved, once I started this Blog-thing yesterday, that I would continue to followup with it at least 5 times a week. I wanted to write more - although it is what I do for a living (if you can call it a living. . .LOL) What will I talk about each day? Who knows, but it will have something to do with being a dad, a producer, an educator, or sometimes "just being a guy" (whatever that means) As a former English teacher, this will not always be grammatically correct, because it will be a stream of consciousness. If I edit my work, I will never keep my resolution to write every day. So there it is. . .AN EXCUSE. Justification of why I will not do something. I would use my obsession with writing perfectly as a reason to not continue this exercise. I am also using my desire to write in a relaxed manner as an EXCUSE why my blogs will be filled with web-esque type of verbiage. . . .like the dot dot dot. . . or the LOL. . . smiley faces =), or any other type of writing that the old grammar text I used to tell my students to leave in their lockers would not support. WHO REALLY CARES. I am doing this for ME anyway. If people read this and get something from it, well that would be really COOL.

Resolve to make changes for yourself, and allow yourself to fail once in a while.

Excuses are copouts for those who really weren't ready for change.

So here I am 2 days in a row. That is 2 more posts than I had on Monday =)