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From www.MichaelAngeloCaruso.com
Anytime is a good time for resolutions. The most successful resolutions offer anticipation of reward or the avoidance of pain. Freud wrote that pleasure and pain are terrific motivators. Here are 5 Cool Ideas for New Year’s resolutions.
1. Be purposeful in everything you do.
You can become much more efficient by striving for purpose in your daily activities. Do you just eat lunch or do you enrich relationships while you eat? What purpose do those two sitcoms serve you every night? What is the purpose of eating that bag of chips? More importantly, what types of consequences await you now that you’ve indulged? Be purposeful in everything you do. Walk with purpose and people will be more likely to respect your time.
2. Resolve not to be mediocre.
Use the freshness of the new year as an excuse for avoiding mediocrity. This can be a challenging task because industry markets products and services to the lowest common denominator. Junk food is marketed to the lowest common denominator. Fast food, for example, is produced cheaply and sold cheaply. Sitcom television is geared toward the masses. The people who produce sitcoms even provide a laugh track so that you’ll know when most people laugh. Give yourself an upgrade. Resolve to distance yourself from the lowest common denominator.
3. Schedule your exercise.
Exercise is more effective when it is regular and systematic. It can be difficult to schedule exercise unless time is pre-committed. I’ve inserted 40 push-ups and 100 sit-ups into my Power Hour, my first 60 minutes of consciousness.
4. Mend fences and help others resolve issues.
The New Year is the perfect time to mend a broken relationship. Call, or better yet, visit the person you want to make peace with. Use this exact wording: “I feel bad about what’s happened between us and want to take responsibility for everything. I’m sorry about the past and I’m going to be a better person for you in the future.” Whether the other party accepts your apology, rebuffs you or otherwise tries to continue the conversation, do not pursue the topic. Allow them to respond, then gracefully end the meeting or phone call. Give the person time to think about what you said. Monitor feedback and if things don’t improve after you’ve apologized, consider replacing the relationship.
5. Service clubs are life-long resolutions.
Viktor Frankl, author of Man’s Search for Meaning, wrote that life’s meaning comes from serving a cause greater than oneself. Rotary, Optimist International and the Big Brother/Big Sister organizations have helped me achieve meaning in my life. These types of service clubs give back to the community while helping members feel better about themselves. If you want to feel better about yourself, do something for someone else. Happy New Year and Happy New You!
