Can Resolutions Meet Reality?

Resolutions are pretty popular ideas at the beginning of each new year, but they are quickly forgotten and left behind. Is it even possible for resolutions to meet reality?

I struggle so much with keeping resolutions that I pretty much give up before I even start. I figure why bother, because I’m never going to keep them. And, yet, most years, I still end up making at least one resolution. I just can’t seem to stop myself.

If we all know that we are going to fail at our resolutions, why do we keep making them and how can we actually keep them?

As I pondered these questions, I decided to look up the actual definition of “resolution”. I was hoping that would help give me some answers to this resolution dilemma.

the act or process of separating something into its constituent parts or elements

Light bulb moment!

Making a resolution involves much more than just saying the words. It takes more than determination and an iron will.

Making our resolutions meet reality involves a plan of steps.

It involves thinking through what it is going to take to accomplish the goal, then separating out the goal into steps of action.

When we take the time to plan out how we are going to accomplish what it is we are longing to accomplish, we can make our resolutions meet reality.

However, before we can start separating out parts and making a plan, we have to be specific. Resolutions like lose weight, read more books, save money, and pay off debt are great ideas. But what do they really mean?

We have to be specific so we know how to separate our goals into steps.

How much weight can you reasonably lose with your body and metabolism in a specific amount of time and how can you actually accomplish it without “falling off the wagon”? What changes are you going to make in your diet? How does your resolution to lose weight affect your family and their eating habits? What is a reasonable workout plan for you and your schedule?

How many books can you make time to read given your schedule and reading speed in a month? What type of books are you wanting to read or are you wanting to read all the books in a specific series? Are you needing to purchase books or can you utilize your public library?

Saving money is great, but how much can you reasonably put aside each month? Wanting to save $5000 is an amazing goal! However, wanting to save that amount and having the resources to do it, are two different things. If you only have $100 a month to actually put aside, you are not going to meet your goal and at the end of the year you are going to feel like you failed.

Same thing with paying off debt. What debt do you have and which one needs to be paid off first? How much can you reasonably put toward debt given your current budget situation?

So, if we want to actually make this resolution thing work, I think we need to do a few things to get us started:

1. Be specific
2. Ask ourselves realistic questions
3. Set a reasonable goal
4. Separate the goal into steps

I would love to pay off our unexpected car loan this year, but when I look at our budget I can tell it just isn’t going to happen without an unexpected windfall. However, I can set the goal of paying an additional $600 on the principal.

I have made the resolution of paying down our car loan. After asking myself some realistic questions and doing some research on our budget, I set a specific amount ($600) in a specific manner (on the principal) and I know that will mean setting aside a specific amount ($50) of our budget each month to accomplish. I still plan to put any extra I might find during the year onto the loan; however, in December 2019, when I make my last $50 principal payment for the year, I can look at what I accomplished and know I did it!

How are you going to make your resolutions meet reality?

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