Do you make resolutions? Do you stick to them? Do ya? Do ya? Do ya? Bet you don't.
As the t-shirt says (and BTW, just so you know, I didn't model for this picture) I don't. My thinking is that if you make your resolutions at the start of the year, you have 365 days to fuck it all up. However, if you choose a more arbitrary date as the kicking off point for a fresh start, and you mess up, you can just pick yourself up and start all over again - without waiting for January 1st to come round again. Make sense, no?
It's like going on a diet on a Monday morning. By elevenses that day you've munched your way through a mars bar, empire biscuit and a packet of crisps so you think, the hell with it and the rest of the week descends into an orgy of calories. Next Monday you start again only to eat a mars bar, empire biscuit....you getting my drift here people?
So I started to think about the aims I have for the next stretch of my life, the week before Xmas and started to modify my behaviour then - allowing for the fact that I would eat slightly more, exercise slightly less and do less writing during the holiday season.
It seems to me that an ongoing assessment of my stuff and an ongoing willingness to work towards my goals is much more effective than the trumpet blast and build up of a new calender year. Because then I will be more relaxed and forgiving of myself when (and it is inevitable) I slip up - and consequently in a better position to get right back on the horse. So to speak.
Here's to getting back on the horse and more success for each and every one of you than you can shake your tail at.
Michael
