I resolve to be resolute

Well now that New Years is upon us I guess it's time to make up that annual to-do list we give ourselves.

But then I have to wonder, why? I hate it when someone gives me a to-do list (do you hear that wife-of-mine?). Why in the Hell should I give myself one. I'm dooming myself to failure from the start. Right?

Well, not necessarily. My list from last year was a good list, and I actually accomplished many of my resolutions. And I'll tell you how you can do the same thing.

First and foremost, you must resolve to be resolute. In other words you have to tell yourself that you're going to do this ... and mean it. You have big and small problems/issues in your life that you want to disappear. Or you might have some self-improvement goals you'd like to set and reach. Well, your problems won't disappear and your dreams won't come to fruition unless you take an active approach towards making it happen.

Secondly is making up the list. The key to this is to keep it fairly short and attainable. By attainable I mean something you can realistically expect to fix. Don't write 'Stop global warming' or 'End world hunger'. I know all you liberals think you can, but you can't. (Besides global warming is a hoax perpetrated by Al Gore to stroke his ego and line his pockets. And you all fell for it. But that's another post). What you need is one or two big ones like 'Fix my credit' or 'Save up for a new car' or 'Lose 40 lbs'. Those are things you can't fix in a week or a month but you can expect to do them over the course of the year ahead.

Now, add in some things that are medium hard. 'Repair the deck', 'Take guitar lessons', 'Actually take a vacation this year'. These are things that require some time and effort, but can be accomplished in a few weeks or months.

Then add in some easy things. 'Clean out the garage', 'Be nicer to my co-workers', 'Get to the gym twice a week', 'Do some charity work', 'Family daytrip to wherever twice a month'. These are things that don't require much time or effort and can be done almost spontaneously.

When completed, your list should have 1 or 2 big resolutions, 3 or 4 medium ones, and 6 to 8 easy ones. Not more than 12 to 14 total. Remember, this list needs to be attainable. Too long a list and you'll quickly convince yourself it can't be done, or you don't have time, or whatever lame excuse you always come up with.

Now put the list someplace you'll see it frequently. NOT THE REFRIGERATOR!!! It will be covered and forgotten by next week! Tape it to your bedroom mirror. Frame it and hang it on the wall next to the toilet (gross but effective). Put it in your computer as a task that pops up twice a week (Not everyday because you'll just ignore it. But Monday, the start of the week, and Friday, the start of the weekend, are good choices). The key is to put it someplace so that you will notice it at least a couple times a week and keep it in mind.

So you've resolved to do this, made your list, and hung it on the bathroom wall. (What is wrong with having it next to the toilet? Your just sitting there waiting anyway. It's prime brainstorming time). Before you even begin to tackle the big ones knock out 1 or 2 of the little ones. It'll make you feel good about yourself, and give you encouragement that you can do this.

As you scratch off an easy one replace it with a new easy one. The easy ones are motivators that keep us going. They provide quick results with little effort. Always keep half a dozen items on your easy list.

Now you're going to start working on 1 medium and 1 big item. First of all, you need to figure out how long it will take to reach that goal, and then break it down into smaller benchmarks that you can attain along the way. This will show yourself that you're making progress and encourage you to continue. For instance, if you want to lose 40 lbs by June 1st, you've got 5 months or 20 weeks to do it. That's 2 lbs per week, which is a reasonable amount (as long as you could stand to lose 40 lbs that is). The internet is a perfect tool for planning out your resolutions. There are numerous how-to sites and chat group places where people talk about exactly what you want to do.

Next comes actually doing it. It's your list. Do you want to accomplish these things or not? How strong is your resolve? You ... YOU! ... have to be willing to take the time and put forth the effort to make this happen.

Like with the easy list, come up with a new item for your medium list once you've accomplished that first one. And then do the same with your hard list when you've conquered, or achieved, one of those goals. Before long this will be a normal part of your life, and you'll be solving problems as they arise, and chasing those dreams instead of just dreaming. It won't be a New Year's Resolution List anymore, it'll be your life laid out in front of you waiting for you to come and take control of it. Because that's what this list is all about. Making your life better, more successful, more fulfilling.

All you have to do is take that first step ...

... resolve to be resolute

.