I wrote in an article (‘Happy New Year’) in this blog on 1st of January this year, that there is actually nothing New about the New Year and that this is, as indeed is Time, an invention of man to end one’s worries, habits, biases, proclivities, unhappinesses, mistakes, and sadnesses and thus begin afresh with a new resolve and of course new worries, habits, biases etc.Hence, it is not difficult to conclude that the best use of the so called New Year is to make Resolutions. These are not written in stone like the Ten Commandments but these are the ones which give us hope (about ourselves) and fresh strength to put a little order in our messed up lives.
However, lets not get carried away by the lofty resolutions. Experience teaches us a lot. If we have been running the Sprint in about 33 seconds for the last several years, the New Year Resolution is not going to help us to break the world record. It is, therefore, helpful to read the signs of the experience and see what each of the resolutions actually means after a few hours/days:
1. I will not drink anymore
- Until I get up at least.
- I will not drink any less either.
- I will not drink unless I have company.
- I like my company.
2. I will not worry unnecessarily
- No one has my circumstances.
- I am little more conscientious. How can it be called worrying?
- Someone has to worry.
- In any case I don’t worry about small things.
3. I will be regular with walks and calisthenics
- Once in a fortnight is fairly regular, isn’t it?
- What’s the use? She doesn’t come to the gym/walks anymore?
- 90 kgs is still less than 100, isn’t it?
- I have seen the fittest getting heart-attacks.
4. I will be more forgiving
- As soon as I have finished breaking the SOB’s teeth.
- Gandhi wasn’t so practical, you know.
- You have no idea what she did to me.
- I have tried this. He thought it was my weakness.
5. I will become more punctual
- Alright, but how about improving traffic, bus and train services?
- Me, the only one? Sitting alone in office, function, date?
- There are people who slip in much after me.
- Is there a fire?
6. I will become more positive
- You can’t be a lotus in filth.
- I am just being realistic.
- Glass half full? Have you seen the muck in the water?
- Who invented the parachute?
7. I will be more charitable
- You think the b____s are poor because of me?
- I have worked for every penny that I have.
- They misuse these funds all the time.
- People just show off with charity.
8. I will not waste time on unproductive activities
- Our group on facebook is quite intellectual.
- I am a thinking man.
- Some people are so unsocial.
- Sudoku is good for the brain.
9. I will spend more time with the family
- I would but the kids don’t want me.
- Our last holiday in Matheran was a disaster.
- There is a generation gap.
- They actually want to be left alone.
10. I will not lose my temper even with unreasonable people
- Is it only for me? What about the other party?
- One should call a spade a spade. I am only being factual.
- I never start an argument.
- There is always a limit, you know.
I think one reason that the New Year Resolutions don’t work is because we let the Mind do most of the thinking. We should, once in a while, let the heart be in control. It may just work.
“The heart has reasons which reason knows nothing of.”–Pascal. I thought your rationalizations under each resolution were funny. Very true.
A nice collection of various resolutions with the common conflicts that arises on their selection. But it is pity that mostly these have very short life as at times they are broken on the very first day.
Sir can we have some other word for Resolution in this case?
Thank you Jaswant. The word Resolution can be broken down into Re (again) solution (answer). Hence the word resolve is to solve again. The only word for this kind of Resolution that one can invent is Refail or Refall!