Be it resolved...
New Year’s resolutions are such a cliché.And generally useless. (More than 80 percent of all resolutions fall by the wayside by February 1, say those who study such things.) Ah, wait. Maybe New Year’s resolutions do serve a purpose: They make us feel guilty and inadequate. They make us feel (by Feb 1) like failures.But people want to make improvements in their lives and in their communities, and the start of a new year seems like a great time to do this. So perhaps we should neither 1) make resolutions we know we cannot keep or 2) give up on the whole resolutions business.Perhaps we should continue to think BIG. But figure out how to act small. This means we keep those big goals (get healthier and save money are the top two resolutions), but we plot out small, doable, incremental steps that might take us, eventually, where we want to go. Call these “micro-resolutions.” The bigger the resolution, the more important it is to break it down into manageable steps.I want to do something about hunger in my community, you resolve on Dec. 31. That’s BIG. And vague. And intimidating.A micro-resolution to-do list might look like this:
- Go to the Food for Lane County website and read about the programs in place to help feed hungry people.
- Click on and learn more about volunteer opportunities and programs that speak to you. (Note that so far you have not left your desk...but look at how much closer you are to making your resolution a reality.)
- Commit 1 hour (just an hour!) to visiting the site of the program to see/ learn first-hand.
- Find 2 hours one day a week (or every other week or once a month) to help that program succeed.
What are you waiting for?