Resolving to fail might be the only New Year’s resolution we’re capable of keeping.
For most, the practice has become laughable; for many, an exercise in futility.
An informal Springfield Business Journal office poll shows the best intentions coupled with the realities of life rarely equal success.
I decided to look outside the office for confirmation. According to the number lovers at Statistic Brain, only about 8 percent of Americans succeed in their New Year’s resolutions.
That’s it.
Roughly half achieve some sort of infrequent success and a quarter say they fail every year like clockwork. It’s not an all-at-once failure, but a slow burn. About 75 percent keep their resolutions through the first week, but come June, that’s below half.
If my office poll is any indication, I’d wager most don’t even remember their resolutions by then.
So why do we still do it? What is it about the new year that makes us so optimistic, as if the date on a calendar can somehow change engrained habits?
I’d like to believe it’s hope.
No, writing a seven instead of a six on the dateline means nothing tangible – but hope isn’t tangible. Hope is what guides us forward.
I came across an article from the good people at LifeHacker.com about resolution alternatives. They give multiple options for the old standby, but one struck me: Choose a focus word for the year.
It’s brilliant in its simplicity.
My original New Year’s resolution was to destress – to focus on the things I can control and let go of the things I can’t. Thinking about how to accomplish it was already stressing me out.
Instead, I’ve decided to make my 2017 focus word logic. For example, in the three hours I have left in this workday, what can I logically get done? The rest will wait until tomorrow.
I don’t have to stress about it because logically, I know it will get done. It always does.
I don’t have to stress about sending the most perfect, most adorable dish to my husband’s monthly work potluck. Logically, I know his co-workers don’t care if one berry is out of place on the cake, as long as it tastes good.
A focus word has the ability to impact most decisions in your life, rather than one specific – and limited – goal for the year. If your resolution was to lose weight, think about a theme of health. It could impact everything from walking to the printer to the snacks you pack, time you spend watching TV and outings with friends.
A focus word also could be tremendously helpful for business owners. Rather than say, we need to grow the bottom line by X amount, what about choosing a focus word like drive. Rather than looking to hit a specific milestone, how does every action you take drive the company forward?
LifeHacker suggests writing your word down and placing it somewhere you can always see it – a bathroom mirror or computer monitor – so it becomes part of your life, not a sentiment forgotten by June.
New Year’s resolutions are a time-honored tradition, but maybe by going rogue this year we can all find a new hope.
Features Editor and Audience Development Director Emily Letterman can be reached at eletterman@sbj.net.
