I hate Resolutions!!!

It's a new year! But guess what? No Resolutions for me! Yep! You heard me right. I recall decades of speaking and sometimes writing down my "resolutions" for the year. Cumulatively, I have at least 35 years of doing this with no results. You can imagine how absolutely frustrating this must have been for me. Rather than stopping that stupid habit or starting that new thing, I became a prisoner of my own self-induced frustration.

This went on until 2019! You see, resolutions only put you under undue pressure because if truly you want to change something, you only need to give yourself a compelling reason to change it. You can't wish things away. You can't wave a magic wand and do the abracadabra thing. It won't cut it! You have to make it happen!

So how did I turn things around? I spoke to the man in the mirror. Me! I told myself some home-truths. I got well-acquainted with my ignorance and limitations. I put the blame for my past failures on me! I accepted my wrongdoings. I realized that change would be gradual. I took it one step at a time. I embraced the process, the journey, the small wins, the "growing pains", the criticism, the sadness and the joy! I made haste slowly. I went on with or without applause. I learnt to listen to that small silent voice. I made conscious, intentional decisions. I left behind things that didn't add to me. I sacrificed instant gratification at the altar of long-term satisfaction. I grew through "aloneness". I traded my acquaintances for new, like-minded friends!

So while I made no resolutions, I was very resolute about who I wanted to become. My resolve to become a better me was firm. Perhaps, it was time for it to happen. Who knows? I cannot say what I do not know. However, I can say what I have come to know. I know that we can't change what we don't understand. Understanding one's self and one's situation an serve as a catalyst for changing one's circumstances. I am still on it...and I'm loving it! Happy 2020 to you all. I have spoken!