Possumhaw: When they work; when they don’t

“Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every New Year find you a better man.”

— Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1739

Benjamin Franklin also said, “But on the whole; tho’ I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far short of it, yet I was, by the endeavor, a better and happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it.”

With Ben’s thoughts in mind, I would come out about 50/50 on my New Year’s Resolutions. The year I decided I would purchase no new thing for my wardrobe I was absolutely miserable. Instead of happily moving forward and being creative I spent more time moaning and groaning. This is not the point of a New Year’s Resolution. A New Year’s Resolution should move you to a place of achievement which is why so many resolutions fail. The resolution is far too vast, as mine was. I would have done better by shortening the goal. Not adding anything new to my wardrobe every other month. Perhaps seeing how many different ways I could use what I already had during the alternate months. O.K. That’s starting to sound fun.

Another year’s resolution was a regular exercise routine. That resolution was successful because I made a doable plan. I signed up for classes five days a week. Once you get into a regular routine it’s just what you do. I was expected to be at the class and I paid to do so. I made myself accountable. Home exercise has never been very successful for me.

Lauren Cosby in the Reader’s Digest agrees, “The wise idea and most satisfying is to lean toward becoming more the person you want to be. If your goal is doable, you’re more likely to do it. By making a plan you are ten times more likely to achieve your goal.”

In 1813 a Boston newspaper first used the phrasing “New Year’s Resolution.” “The idea was to redeem one’s self from the bad habits of the previous year. A new year to start fresh.”

Gunilla Norris wrote in “Embracing the Seasons” about geese, something we see often on the lake. She wrote, “Geese depend on one another. The lead goose does the most work, but when it is tired, it falls back and another takes its place. The leadership is shared. Being in charge for them is not about ego or control, but about what will serve the flock in the best way. All of us have gifts that can benefit others. How different our world would be if we all acted with the community in mind. Our strengths could be expressed for the benefit of the whole, and we could sense how necessary mutuality is in the handling of our challenges.”

The past couple of years have been challenging for everyone.  Since everyone has a gift, what if we resolved to use our gifts to help others? By making a plan to share our gifts, we are ten times more likely to achieve our goals.

Shannon Bardwell is a writer living quietly in the Prairie. Email reaches her at msdeltachild@msn.com.