I Hereby Resolve - writercize #149

In the spirit of New Year's resolutions, I am pleased to announce that I have finally settled on what I plan to do for this year and I choose to hereby make it public knowledge.  I posted my best and worst of 2011 list after the first of January, so I figure I had a little extra time to pick a resolution as well.

It may be to my benefit that I did not choose hastily as the hours in 2011 wound down. According to a poll shared on January 2 during the Rose Bowl parade, over one third of the people who responded had already broken their New Year's Resolution. That's quick! 

With my resolution, I'm aiming for a gradual adjustment rather than a quick turn-around.

Why post a resolution online? According to a Daily Record article posted a couple of years ago on the topic of New Year's resolutions, one of the top six strategies to stick to your resolution is to tell people about it. In case you were interested, here a summary of the entire list:

• Make sure the resolution is your own.
• Plan it out – break it down into smaller, achievable goals.
• Write it down and post it somewhere you will see everyday.
• Make it specific.
• Tell people about it.
• Forgive yourself – if you slip up, start the next day with a fresh resolve and move forward! 

So, I'm giving you the chance to write it down in public and tell the world!  And even if you are not prepared to forgive yourself if you slip up, I promise to forgive and support you regardless.

writercize:  Create or share your 2012 New Year's Resolution.  Begin with the words "I hereby resolve" and identify at least two strategies towards achieving your goal.  End with "I am human and will forgive myself and try again when I have difficulty staying on track."

Click "read more" to see my writercizer sample response and learn what I plan to do to improve myself this year.

writercizer sample response:

I hereby resolve to become more efficient. I will attempt to reduce the amount of time I spend thinking about a problem, and work to act as soon as I know what needs to be done. I will give myself the gift of time and living in the present by returning all emails, including personal and organizational, within two days' time and answering phone calls or returning messages promptly rather than allowing them to sit while I ruminate. I will channel my Grandma who spent every moment doing the things that needed to be done in order to dedicate time and energy to her family.

In improving my efficiency, I will find more balance in my daily life and minimize feelings of guilt over not properly executing any given task.

I will work to remind myself of this every day in order to live in a more orderly and accomplished environment.  I am human and will forgive myself and try again when I have difficulty staying on track.

(As a side note, my house is already looking better. I've eliminated a couple of piles and sent clothing and toy donations out the door, as well as deep cleaned all the carpets, windows and surfaces. Over the past days I've answered phone calls rather than send them to voice mail, and technology is helping me keep on top of emails throughout the day rather than sit down to one big jumble of messages a couple times a day. Here's hoping the trend continues and improves.)