To Resolve or Not to Resolve?
Let’s Reframe the New Year’s Resolution
To Resolve or Not to Resolve?
Given that most of the resolutions people make in the New Year will most likely fade away within a month or so, it’s fair to question whether or not you should make one at all. I, for one, have always had a hard time making resolutions. The way I see it, a resolution is a fundamental prediction of the future, and none of us has a magic crystal ball. As such, there’s no point in predicting the future.
As Peter Kinderman put it, “One problem with New Year’s resolutions is that they’re at New Year. People want to have an external reason — perhaps even an excuse — to reinvent themselves. It’s hard to change, so it’s tempting to use an external factor — the turn of the year — as a focus for our desire to change. But the very fact that we’re using the New Year to spur us into action might indicate that we’re not really able to do the hard work of changing. Indeed, the hype surrounding the New Year might mean that we’re over-ambitious and unrealistic.”
Life, With Intention
Yet, there is something to be said about a resolution. At the heart of a resolution lies intention. Intention is the root of action and the fulcrum for change. True change doesn’t occur without intention.
It’s also true that our growth as human beings relies on intention. It’s something unique to us as humans. A cumin seed grows to be cilantro regardless of it’s intention to be sage. An apple seed grows into an apple tree, regardless of it’s intention to be a grape vine. But a human has a choice. Our growth potential is limitless, and our opportunities are vast. You can’t divorce the idea of growth from intention.
So, this year I’ve decided to hack the idea of a New Year’s resolution with some simple linguistic choices. Language always has meaning, and making these simple choices has restructured the way I’m approaching my next season in life.
The New Year’s Resolution…Reframed:
- Resolution = Intention. Instead of what I resolve (re+solve) to do, I will talk about what I intend to focus on. I want to approach my life with intention rather than solution because intention leads to change.
- Should = Can. You should lose weight. You should stop smoking. You should save more money. Yet we rarely follow the “should” because they are often latent with lofty hope. Instead, I want to say I can. I can lose weight. I can stop smoking. I can save more money. This maps my ability to my intentions in a powerful way and places the onus around a choice. If I can do something, then I have the ability to choose to do it (or not do it). It’s my choice, rather than my hope.
- New Year = New Season. Growth is not dependent upon timeframe. There is no deadline or due date. The reason that resolutions seem so powerful is because they are timed with a natural and universal timeframe, the New Year. Instead of constricting myself to a broad timeframe, I want to focus on my life in seasons. Seasons give my abilities + intentions open space to breathe and come to fruition.
If you place all three of these together in a format, what you get is this:
In this season, I intend to focus on ____________. I can _______, I can ________, and I can ________.
For instance, here are my reframed resolutions:
Reframed Resolution #1:
In this season, I intend to focus on belonging.
I can speak with strength about the subjects I’m passionate and knowledgeable about, I can allow my voice to be heard, and I can work on accepting the fact that I belong here.
Reframed Resolution #2:
In this season, I intend to focus on saying, “yes.”
I can say ‘yes’ when presented with an opportunity outside of my comfort zone, I can embrace and overcome my fears, and I can be more open to new experiences, relationships, and challenges.
Reframed Resolution #3:
In this season, I intend to focus on my physical health.
I can continue to go to the gym, I can make food choices that align better with my health, and I can challenge myself to get more rest.
So there are my intentions for this new season. Belonging, saying yes, and being physically healthy. I will almost assuredly fail at times at maintaining my intention, but that doesn’t mean that I’ve broken my resolutions. Instead, it means I need to refocus my intent and revisit the things that I can do.
Your Turn To Reframe
So what are your reframed resolutions? What do you intend for this next season of your life? What can you do?
Feel free to tweet me @JeremiahGardner — I’d love to hear how your resolutions take shape.
Jeremiah Gardner is the author of the upcoming book, The Lean Brand. He works with entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs and Fortune 500s to help them discover, iterate and develop their emotional-value. Jeremiah is an author, speaker, brand hacker, and bulldog lover. His work is about helping people reframe the way they think about brand development, culture, creativity, and leadership. Reach him @JeremiahGardner or http://jeremiahgardner.com.
