I admit, I find it difficult not only making a New Year’s resolution, but also committing myself to keeping one.
It’s human nature to have desires and wants that morph into a resolution, but keeping the resolution is an entirely different story.
Could it be the New Year’s resolutions some of us make are resolutions that neither interest us or are attainable at the moment?
A resolution can be something as simple as a promise to give yourself time to walk and enjoy nature.
Could it also be that today’s competitive world and the race to maintain our place among our peers contributes to declaring resolutions that might be void of our full attention and passion?
GOBankingRates conducted a survey in which the site asked 5,000 individuals what their 2016 New Year’s resolutions were. Based on the survey, the top resolutions were to enjoy life to the fullest, live a healthier lifestyle, lose weight, spend more time with family and friends, and save more/spend less.
Resolutions should be easy to envision and attain. Simple resolutions that can be implemented in the course of every day life are best.
Resolutions could include opening a door for someone in public, saying “thank you” to a military member, veteran or local first responder, being there for someone in need of an open ear or heart, or volunteering a few times a year at a local nonprofit organization.
Or, how about a simple resolution where you take time for yourself–reserve an afternoon to visit a park, breathe in the fresh air and cherish the beauty of nature around you, or take a class in an area or subject you have always been interested in?
Your New Year’s resolution need not be some personally challenging endeavor you may have made previous attempts and efforts at. The resolution can be so simple it’s second nature to complete it.
Each Jan. 1 we are all afforded the opportunity to start anew; we are each given a fresh start to the upcoming year. The dirt and stain of the previous year can be washed away by a promise of a new year, culminating into a new vision.
That vision can become a realistic resolution if we take the time to commit ourselves to improving who we are, as well as those around us.
Here’s to beginning 2016 with a simpler New Year’s resolution!
Bethlehem resident Mark Reccek began reporting in 2010. He is currently a distressed debt reporter for Prospect News, an online publisher of stock market and financial news. He also serves as a web reporter for WFMZ and the Lehigh Valley Press weekly newspapers. A Lehigh Valley native, Mark graduated from Lehigh University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science. He also holds a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. He is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, having served active duty from 1996-2000.
