Not New Year Re-soul-utions

I'm not a big fan of those lists that try and sum up the end of the year by ranking things. We spend countless hours listing the pros and cons of everything from favorite foods to least likable movie stars. Politicians, musical acts, and sports teams all get their own Top 10 lists during this bizarre time of year that asks us to reflect back on what is important. Sometimes its a bit absurd, really. Will making a list of the year's best television pet food commercials help me look forward into the new year with any real advantage?

To be honest, I'm also not too keen on end of the year reflections. They seem arbitrary. What happens if I start slacking off around mid-October but have decided that January 1st is the day I'm going to clean everything up? Do I get free pass for two and a half months to just hang out and revel in whatever deficiency I am floundering in? After all... the resolutions don't begin until January. Admittedly, it is a bad mix when a person doesn't like end of the year lists and arbitrary start dates, so what can be done? I must begin the year in Grinch-like fashion and snub my nose at these traditions.

Or, I can try to readjust my thinking to capture the spirit of these lists and embrace the reason we make resolutions. No reason to toss the holiday baby out with the yuletide bathwater.

The idea behind a list of 'favorite things' is so that we can find enjoyment by recalling events that make us happy. It's fine to look at what other people have accomplished if we can also recognize the achievements in our own lives. And its not a competition. There is no sense in comparing your life story with everyone else's. Measure your own accolades and be proud of your life. The choices you have made have led to where you are and there is no point in lamenting lost time. If you regret some of your prior decisions, then do what it takes to not repeat them. If you are content, then be thankful and move forward. But I would argue that all of us have something to look fondly and reflect upon. Focus on these. Remember that you do not live in isolation and your life has meaning and importance to others. This world is a better place with you in it.

Hopefully, we can skip the second issue. If we chose to only live well and make proper decisions because a certain date on the calendar unfurls, then we have bigger issues to address than charity to all humanity. Perhaps a medical check up might be in order. I encourage us all to begin today... this second (well, at least after you finish this article). Dig deep into the recesses of your being and don't wait until January 1st. Do your best to not only improve your own life, but take the necessary steps to make life better for others. Your actions are important and help play a pivotal role in the world around you. Encounter a resolution of the soul, and not just the season.