On New Year's Resolutions

(originally published 1/1/2010)



You will often be asked, “Have you made any ‘New Year’s Resolutions’?” I’d rather ask you , if you’ve ever given any thought to what a “resolution” is?

Most dictionaries will give the first definition as something like this one:
“a formal expression of opinion or intention” Often time, after taking a vote, “We do hereby resolve to do thus and such…”

And in a sense, a New Year’s Resolution could be that. A formal declaration of what you intend to do during the coming year having taken a vote of me, myself and I or perhaps my ego, id and superego!

But, I want you to get a fuller sense of the word, and grasp some of its connotations. In music, you resolve a chord by adding a last or missing note. “The progression of a dissonant tone or chord to a consonant tone or chord.” This is not my area of expertise, but I have had it demonstrated to me, where there is something that almost borders on an aching or anxiety waiting for that last note to make the sound complete.

So, there is the sense of incompletion. Is there something that you need to do to make yourself whole and put you in harmony with yourself, or those around you? An aching or a longing unfulfilled? What would “complete“ you in 2010?

In the optical sense, to resolve an image is to put it in the sharpest focus. To see a thing as clearly as it can be seen. The “resolution” on your computer monitor is a measure of just how sharp and well defined you can make the images appear. What is there in your life that is not as clear as it should be? Is there an area that you have left vague for whatever reason. What part of living to you need to bring into sharper focus in 2010?

In fiction, you resolve the plotline by tying up all the loose ends: solving the mystery, reuniting the lovers, etc. What “loose ends” are there in your life that you could deal with in 2010?

In chemistry, it’s the “act or process of separating or reducing something into its constituent parts”. Making something simpler out of the complex. Have you overcomplicated your life? Do you need to break it down into simpler parts so that you can better understand them? So that you can recombine them in perfect balance or selectively remove any that don’t fit the sharp focus of who you want to be?

I think that most New Year’s resolutions fail, because the people who made them never truly resolved to do them. Yeah, it’s a good idea to stop smoking, lose weight, etc., etc., but we didn’t see it as an integral vision of who we were and who we wanted to be. And in a world of instant gratification (there’s no problem on earth that can’t be resolved in a sit-com in 22 minutes or 44 if it’s a drama!), we sometimes forget that the ten, or twenty or fifty pounds we want to lose, we didn’t gain in a week, or even a month, or maybe even a year, so it’s unrealistic to look for miracles. Our bodies built up a tolerance for nicotine over time and it may take time to undo that. But, if you are resolved to do something, or to quit doing something, that will put your life in greater harmony, make you more complete in yourself or deal with any loose ends you’ve been letting hang, then today might just be a good day to start!

And if you have any success in truly resolving what your life should be, drop me a note and let me know. I've resolved to stop spitting in the wind this year! Heh.
Happy New Year!