Resolutions, fresh starts this 2018
Ninety-six percent of Filipinos believe this 2018 would be a better year, and so resolve for fresh starts. Incredibly the Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions, as surveyed, are common to Asians, North and South Americans, Africans, Europeans, and Australians. Amusingly too, these ten recur New Year after New Year:
1. Spend more time with family and friends.
2. Exercise regularly and stay physically fit. 3. Diet and keep trim. 4. Quit smoking. 5. Enjoy life more, not necessarily by living it up, but being happy and healthy in body, mind and soul. 6. Quit drinking. 7. Get out of debt; spend wisely; stick to a budget.
8. Learn something new: change careers, reenroll in school, take up a hobby, read more. 9. Help others; do volunteer work. 10. Get organized – at home or work. A separate survey shows that most people forget their New Year ’s promises by the first two weeks of the New Year. Almost everybody would have forgotten by midyear.
Psychologists suggest five ways to keep your New Year’s pledges:
1. Aim low. Resolutions are easier said than done; so don’t shoot for the moon. Like, instead of declaring to yourself to shed off 30 pounds, be happy with ten or 15.
2. Don’t overload yourself. It’s hard enough to keep one promise; you don’t have to take on more. Like, if your pledge is to find a girlfriend or beau, maybe just losing weight would do the trick.
3. Tell everyone you know. Keeping your resolution(s) to yourself leaves you with only one person to egg you to strive on. There’s no shame in seeking help.
4. Reward yourself. Try Pavlovian conditioning. If you vowed to spend less and so shunned the shoe sale, buy yourself a steaming cup of cappuccino.
5. Start at the best time. Sometimes it’s impossible to fulfill your pledge right on New Year’s Day. Try other early days of the year, like Valentine’s on February 14, or the Chinese New Year on February 16.
The toughest but worthiest selfimprovements are of character. The Toastmaster’s Treasury Chest features this New Year’s verse, author unknown:
A little less impatient with those we deem too low;
A littler less of arrogance because of all we know;
A little more humility, seeing our worth is slight;
We are such trivial candles compared to stars at night!
A little more forgiving and swifter to be kind;
A little more desirous the word of praise to find;
The word of praise to utter and make a heart rejoice;
A little bit more careful to speak with gentle voice;
A little more true eagerness to understand each other;
A little more real striving to help a shipwrecked brother;
A little more high courage to each task that must be done;
These be our resolutions — and God help everyone! New Year’s Day is every man’s birthday, Charles Lamb said. Happy birthday and Blessed 2018 to us all. Enjoy our next 12 months. Catch Sapol radio show, Saturdays, 8-10 a.m., DWIZ (882-AM).
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These Top 10 Resolutions recur in surveys in New Year after New Year.