So, here comes the inevitable question. The question that comes up at every new year's. What's for New Year resolutions? People have to ask that, sometimes, just to have something to talk about. You go around and wish people, not friends, just acquaintances and what else? Instead of fumbling for a question, you could just throw in this question and watch out for the answer. At other times, it's pure curiosity. If it is someone we admire, it could mean a chance to get to know what more plans they could have to better their lives. On the other hand, if it is someone we think is just okay types and the question accidentally pops out of our mouth, we could see if they realize as well as we do, what their short-comings are and if they have any plans of improvement. Then there are the years when we can’t come up with a "sounds interesting" resolution that we can boast about to our friends and so we would like to see if we can pick up some nice resolution from someone else. We are all pretty old people now. Not 'old' in the normal sense of the word. I meant to say that we have all seen a good number of New Years' and have seen what exactly happens to the list of resolutions, how much ever small or large it may be. Yeah, that is said with the obvious assumption that this blog's readership does not consist of little school kids, at least in majority(because kids, these days, are not to be under-estimated). We are experienced people, as far as New Years and Resolutions are concerned, that they have also turned into a cliché for many. I'm sure; a little school kid will have a definite and confident list of resolutions, which I can't compete against.
The result of the poor resolution making is that there is this silly exchange you could get into.
"Hey! Happy New Year!"
"Thanks, man! Happy New Year to you too .. "
"So? what's your resolution?"
"Eh?"
"New Year Resolution.. what have you come up with?"
"Oh! umm..." *shrugging shoulders and feeling stupid for having not thought of it at all* "... err.. nothing"
*smiles* “.... “
"Uh, what's yours?"
*Most proudly* “.. I have resolved not make any resolutions ..”
*smiles*
" Bwah! ..” *grins back knowingly* “.. I'm sure that's not the first time you're making that resolution.. "
*blinks* and gives a “yeah! I never thought of that” kind of look and smiles again.
Yeah, that conversation did really happen on New Year's morning. It sounds pretty detrimental.
I know, there are a whole lot of 'experienced' people, who still make earnest New Year resolutions and work towards them. I appreciate them all for their discipline and determination to improve their lives. I'm sure there is something special about New Years, which demands resolutions out of us. For those who count on New Year's for resolutions, I'm sure that the belief and the psychological resolve alone will help a great deal in the journey towards the goal.
If I believe in that statement, have I resolved my mind about anything for the New Year?
No.
Why not?
'll tell you.
It's simple. I keep making resolutions all year round. Every now and then, there's something I notice about my life that needs improvement. I give it due attention, think it over and resolve to improve on it. I come up with ways of improvement. It might be long term or short term resolutions. Sometimes, it's a resolution that has been made the umpteenth time all over again. Still, it helps. Even a little improvement is improvement.
There are resolutions that cannot be attended to immediately. They require a lot of planning and time. They are always made, over and over again, unashamedly, when circumstances warrant them. Even now, I have a handful of resolutions to attend to. They are put into priority queues. Some of them remain dormant, until it's time to bring them out into the open. It does not matter that they are dormant. They sit in some nook or corner of my mind, so that they aren't completely forgotten. Some situation in everyday life will bring them back to the forefront of the thought process. Depending on the circumstances, they will be attended to immediately or pushed back into the dark corners again, to be looked into later.
Yes, it is a good idea to resolve to work on very long term and long unattended issues on New Year' Day. However, there are the some things about our day-to-day life, which constantly need our attention. Life is not the same always. The routines are not the same either. Not everything that determines our days is under our control. It's simple. Let's take for example my daily routine. I have always prided myself on my discipline for being an unfailing early riser and going to college, irrespective of the time at which I go to bed. My discipline was broken, largely due to circumstances that I have no control over. I’m used to watch movies late night and I could not entice sleep to my bed. Alright, I did manage to continue being an early riser, in spite of the fact that I sleep very late at night and don't get to have my full night's quota of sleep, also because of situations not entirely under my control. Then came the winter. The winter turned out to be colder than earlier ones. The fever came next. My routine was broken at that point of time. I now happen to go to college by the 8:00 A.M. Blame it on my college. I can't have my evenings to myself. I can't get ready to college in the cold hours of the early morning. Life was haphazard and a mess for the first few days, until I observed the patterns and resolved to fall into a routine. Any resolutions I had made earlier, that depended on the fact that I was an early riser, were no longer applicable. I then set out to make newer resolves to improve my life, based on the current trend of my days. That is why I didn't make any New Year resolutions. I resolve to do many things, as and when I realise the need for improvement.
Another strange thing about New Years is that another person's resolutions could also affect you in a positive way and take your life one step ahead in the right direction, could make you do something which you always wanted to do, but never thought of doing, maybe because you never imagined you could do it. There are some resolutions that you should have made a long while ago, but they never occurred to your over-worked minds. All of a sudden, you find your life taking a positive turn, without any conscious efforts or thoughts on your part. What does that mean? Do we keep making resolutions and New Year Resolutions unconsciously too? Sounds psychic? Why can't we let our lives be what they are and stop struggling to improve them? That's not the way to live, unless our lives are most perfect and change is something alien to our lives. You ask me what's the point I'm trying to drive? Just that New Years are definitely a time to hope for better things in life, consciously or unconsciously.
So do hope for the best and have a grand experience this year! Besides, if you have made any "sounds interesting" kind of New Year resolutions, do let me know. I'm all ears for the bragging ..
:-P
