Resolution? No Thanks

Several years ago I made a resolution that I knew I could stick to:  I resolved to stop making New Year's resolutions.

They are pointless. 

That isn't to say that you shouldn't quit smoking, lose weight, start working out, yada yada yada.  I'm just saying that just because it is a new year doesn't mean you will start doing these things any easier or better than you would have started doing them yesterday.

Yes the year according to the Gregorian Calendar has changed from 2012 to 2013, but you are still you.  No magic happened overnight while you were sleeping to suddenly make you not crave cigarettes because it is now 2013.  Guess what?  If you don't want to quit smoking, you're not going to quit smoking. 

This is why I stopped making resolutions.  This, however, does not mean that I have stopped learning, improving, adapting, etc.  It just means that instead of waiting for a silly thing like a New Year to "start me off" right, I start when I feel it is right to start, when I am ready to start.

If you smoke you should quit.  If you don't work out you should.  If you have weight to lose you should shed those pounds.  But before you go and buy expensive gums, gym memberships and healthy snacks ask yourself if you are doing these things because you want to or because it is a "new year."  Otherwise you are going to end up with a medicine cabinet full of gum, an extra membership card in your wallet and a drawer full of low-calorie eats that you are going to push to the back when Twinkies hit the shelves again.

We should all resolve to be better, live better and help others each and everyday, not just for a few days at the beginning of each year.  If resolutions help you then great, but don't feel like you need to wait for some big important day to start doing whatever is you feel you should be doing.  If something is worth doing it is worth doing right away. 

And if you hate me and this blog because you love and need a "New Year" to start a resolutions, here is a calendar of New Year's in 2013 just for you! Now you can feel free to make resolutions all year long without the guilt of "cheating" on New Year's!

Christian New Year/Gregorian New Year:  January 1
Buddish New Year: January 27
Chinese New Year: February 10
Sikh/Nanakshahi New Year:  March 14
Bahai New Year: March 21
Hindu New Year: Different dates depending on where you live, but several fall on April 14 or 15th
Parsi New Year:  August 20
Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashhanah): September 4
Celtic New Year: November 1
Islamic New Year:  November 3

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