It's because of this randomness that we are quick to overlook and under-appreciate the true meanings of words (that and also because English is a language of almost endless synonyms; see: beautiful - pretty, cute, handsome, gorgeous, magnificent, adorable, awesome, good-looking, breath-taking, superduper, etc).
The reason I provided this pretext before telling why you are most undoubtedly going to fail whatever Resolution you have for 2014 will become obvious when we look at the word Resolution itself.
Stolen from Google:
res·o·lu·tion
ˌrezəˈlo͞oSHən/
noun
- 2.the action of solving a problem, dispute, or contentious matter.
Or, you can break it down as: re-solution. Re, in its most basic English application means to "do something again" and solution to mean "answer to".
Before I get further into this word, let's look at some other words that have this "do something again" prefix.
Recycle, Reclaim, Research
Recycle is an obvious one. We use this word to show that what was once used before can be used again and put back into the "cycle" of being used. Nowhere in this word (or with application of the word into the real world) do we insist on adding something to it. Rather, we say that it can be used again. If you recycle your garbage, you are literally committing to put that plastic bottle back into the cycle of consumption as it can be melted down to plastic and reshaped (there's that re again!) into something else.
Reclaim is another obvious one. What was once yours will be yours once again when you reclaim it. This word was much more popular in ancient times as empires would look to reclaim territory or position that they owned before the tides of war had lost it for them.
Are you noticing the trend? We'll do one more example.
Research. This one is more revealing of the importance of the re. Spending hours upon hours slaving away at a research paper seems like tedious work. Why does the professor want me to write a report on conclusions that other scholars have made about this subject? I'm not adding anything new. If anything, I'm just repeating what they've all said. Exactly. The answers already exist in the world. A research paper (or any paper for that matter) is not adding anything new to the world, it's discovering a truth about the world and showing other humans your findings. Our universe does not change because you write a paper about it. The only thing that changes is our understanding of the world. "Groundbreaking" papers aren't really groundbreaking at all. The ground is very much left unchanged, the picture of it just becomes more clear.
This is why your Resolution will fail. You're looking to do or be something you're not. You can't add anything new to the world or your family or yourself.
Resolution is finding the answer about yourself that you've had all this time. Being healthier in 2014, dropping those stubborn 15 pounds, making more money, finding a boyfriend or girlfriend, doing better in school or at work, starting that business you always dreamed about - none of those are things that you have to create. Those are all things that you uncover about yourself. They're hidden. You have the solution already. That solution is you.
Do you want to know why you haven't achieved those goals yet? It's because right now, you're not you. Bare with me here. You're you plus 150 other things that cloud you or distract you from who you really are. The person you are gets so caught up living in a world of more more more that things you wish weren't important in your life or that eat up a lot of time and energy (Facebook, Twitter, gossip, shopping, television, Netflix, etc) become more prominent than basic desires of self-improvement, discipline, fulfilling your fantasies. We become so caught up on what happened on the last episode of Breaking Bad (which was phenomenal by the way) but for some reason it has become so taboo to be caught up on what happened on the last episode of you. Escapism becomes easier and easier the more you allow it to become your reality. If something is bothering you then it is up to you to remove it from your life instead of adding something new to distract you from it. This is how stress accumulates and becomes the reason you might overeat, oversleep, party too hard and just overall breakdown both physically and spiritually.
When I was 17 I was told to pick a program in university that will allow me to find something I want to do for the rest of my life. In this, the conclusion was made that my purpose and passion in life was something to be found out in the world. Like an answer that was waiting for me to reach out and grab it if I only gave it the chance. I've reached a point now where I see the opposite is true. The answer was right but the question was wrong. The goal shouldn't be to find a school or job or hobby or passion that you might grow to love, but rather, let your passionate self dictate the things you do in life. You'll find that this way of thinking can put into perspective the number of filler things you add onto your life in order to help you "find the right answers". It's not your fault. You were given a ladder and asked to find something buried within yourself. I offer you rather a shovel, so that you can dig your way into understanding the answer that has long matured within you instead.
I invite you then, if anything, to look at 2014 not as the year of doing more, but doing less. It is an attitude adjustment. The person you want to be is not out of reach, but rather, begging to come out. If your goal is to look better, then identify that as allowing your body to look the way it's supposed to as opposed to some figment you one day hope to achieve. If your goal is to be more optimistic then forget about how much more optimistic you can be and seek rather to be less pessimistic.
You can't change who you are on a spiritual or even biological level, but you can certainly help that self emerge from the shadow that you've cast it in. This is how you will find the answer you've been looking for in 2014. This is how you will complete your Resolutions.
When I was 17 I was told to pick a program in university that will allow me to find something I want to do for the rest of my life. In this, the conclusion was made that my purpose and passion in life was something to be found out in the world. Like an answer that was waiting for me to reach out and grab it if I only gave it the chance. I've reached a point now where I see the opposite is true. The answer was right but the question was wrong. The goal shouldn't be to find a school or job or hobby or passion that you might grow to love, but rather, let your passionate self dictate the things you do in life. You'll find that this way of thinking can put into perspective the number of filler things you add onto your life in order to help you "find the right answers". It's not your fault. You were given a ladder and asked to find something buried within yourself. I offer you rather a shovel, so that you can dig your way into understanding the answer that has long matured within you instead.
I invite you then, if anything, to look at 2014 not as the year of doing more, but doing less. It is an attitude adjustment. The person you want to be is not out of reach, but rather, begging to come out. If your goal is to look better, then identify that as allowing your body to look the way it's supposed to as opposed to some figment you one day hope to achieve. If your goal is to be more optimistic then forget about how much more optimistic you can be and seek rather to be less pessimistic.
You can't change who you are on a spiritual or even biological level, but you can certainly help that self emerge from the shadow that you've cast it in. This is how you will find the answer you've been looking for in 2014. This is how you will complete your Resolutions.
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Further Insights into Goal Setting and Resolutions
Something that had inspired me to think this way not only about my goals this year but for my life is a movie I watched a few days before New Years Eve on the bus to Montreal. Jiro Dreams of Sushi is more than a movie about a man and his sushi shop. It's about waking up every single day and dedicating your life to a single motivating passion. Jiro is 85 years old and the only sushi chef in the world to be awarded 3 Michelin stars (the most prestigious award in the restaurant industry). 3 stars means that the restaurant is worth traveling to the country in order to dine there. However, even with the awards and accolades, Jiro, who has been practicing sushi for over 60 years, continues to wake up every day in hopes that he can perfect his art. He stresses that money isn't important to him and there is a level of truth behind his eyes that make you believe this statement. This is a must watch for anybody looking to see what life could look like if you remove the distractions that cloud your judgment and your ambitions.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
Something that had inspired me to think this way not only about my goals this year but for my life is a movie I watched a few days before New Years Eve on the bus to Montreal. Jiro Dreams of Sushi is more than a movie about a man and his sushi shop. It's about waking up every single day and dedicating your life to a single motivating passion. Jiro is 85 years old and the only sushi chef in the world to be awarded 3 Michelin stars (the most prestigious award in the restaurant industry). 3 stars means that the restaurant is worth traveling to the country in order to dine there. However, even with the awards and accolades, Jiro, who has been practicing sushi for over 60 years, continues to wake up every day in hopes that he can perfect his art. He stresses that money isn't important to him and there is a level of truth behind his eyes that make you believe this statement. This is a must watch for anybody looking to see what life could look like if you remove the distractions that cloud your judgment and your ambitions.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
Another person you should learn to love is my personal hero/online mentor Elliott Hulse. His philosophy is one that very strongly shapes mine and his insights on just about any and every topic are worth listening to. Here's a video posted a few days ago about his thoughts on new year resolutions:
Elliott's weightlifting YouTube Channel:
Elliott's Personal Philosophy Channel
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLrI-dOLyDbRnPyUeWadsOg
*Note: there is a great deal overlap in the subject content of Elliott's videos on both channels and they are not mutually exclusive
Ted Talk
A lot of the above philosophy has been inspired by what is known as living a Minimalist lifestyle. The idea is that less really is more and that the things you own end up owning you. Here is a short and informative video about trying to be more minimal (and therefore happier):
http://www.ted.com/talks/graham_hill_less_stuff_more_happiness.html
*Note: there is a great deal overlap in the subject content of Elliott's videos on both channels and they are not mutually exclusive
Ted Talk
A lot of the above philosophy has been inspired by what is known as living a Minimalist lifestyle. The idea is that less really is more and that the things you own end up owning you. Here is a short and informative video about trying to be more minimal (and therefore happier):
http://www.ted.com/talks/graham_hill_less_stuff_more_happiness.html
