New Years Resolutions.

Happy New Year! I sincerely wish you a Healthy and Happy 2011.

I'm all in favour of setting goals, making plans and creating positive change.  But I'm somewhat cynical about New Years Resolutions.   I'm not a big fan of 'shoulds' and 'oughts', implying as they do rules and regulations and sometimes causing people to feel obliged in some way to conform.

I know that the end of one year and the start of another can be a time for new beginnings, but so could the start of a new month, new week or new day.  And if you have a life changing idea mid February, you surely don't want to wait 10 and a half months to take action.

I'm sure there must be people who make resolutions on 1st January and stick with them for months, years or even for life, but I have yet to meet anyone years later who has told me that was the case! On the contrary, my general observations in various contexts point to the opposite conclusion.

Years of regular attendance at the local gym saw an influx of new and enthusiastic members each January, many of whom were never seen again after February. In my time working as a Stop Smoking Advisor, I was rushed off my feet in January with new referrals, many of whom gave up their goal within a week.

Despite being very good at setting and achieving goals for myself I have found that when I have set New Years Resolutions (defined as starting on 1st January) I just don't seem motivated to keep them up.

So, on the gounds that I will probably break them pretty quickly, today I am going to make the resolution to eat rubbish, drink plenty of alcohol, stop exercising, over spend, go for instant gratification, and allow myself to procrastinate about everything that needs doing.  There, that should do it.  I'll let you know how I get on with my New Years Resolutions.

I'd love to hear about yours too - please leave a comment below.