Jumping off the Bandwagon?

Have you made your New Year’s Resolutions yet?  Or, have you made them and already given up?  I’ve always felt obligated to make them.  I sometimes follow through on them.  And this year, I decided to think long and hard about what it really means to set a resolution.

I think resolution is a bit of a strong word.  Now, don’t get me wrong…in order to facilitate true change, I know we have to be resolute in our thinking in order to make strong improvements or gains in any area.  But I want to make changes in my life this year that make sense, and that will promote lasting change.  But “resolution” sounds so harsh, so black and white, and sometimes I feel that if I fall off the New Year’s Resolution bandwagon for a few weeks (or months?), I may feel like a failure, so the resolution-making may take me to a place worse than before!

Case in point:  Like many people, I want to work out so I can be healthier and stronger.  But I want to address first why I have trouble staying committed to working out in the first place.  One of my biggest barriers is lack of sleep.  I am a “night owl,” but at the same time, my job as a teacher gets me up at 5:30 each day.  In addition, my body requires lots of sleep, which I don’t regularly get.  So, I need to first address my sleep deficit before I can work out regularly.  I can take small steps to work out, of course, in increments and so forth (and I’ve read research that lends to workouts helping to boost energy which in turn will help with sleeping more soundly, etc.) But I don’t want to just jump on the “workout bandwagon” if my body needs sleep more desperately. I want my resolutions to be more deliberate and logical for myself so I can make life-long changes.

It’s the same with organizing.  There are so many wonderful techniques for organizing.  There are scores of products, colorful containers, and all sorts of organizing doo dads.  I love these products because seeing the myriad of ideas out there inspires me to stretch my thinking about my organizing systems.  But sometimes, in the excitement of the newest, neatest product, I can sometimes get caught up in the moment, and I find myself just jumping on the organizing bandwagon, if you will, just like the resolutions situation above.  I think we often focus on conversations with others, dialogue with our friends, or tips from the media, and we can sometimes assume it all applies to us.  Much of it does, I believe, but I feel better this year in pausing a little longer to discover the goals I need to make for myself, and determine the individual steps I need to make to achieve those goals.  In a way, I feel like I am going two steps backward, one step forward (play on words intended) in making sleep a primary goal before planning for a my exercise goal.  I think that this deeper planning will mark truer progress for me, in that it gives me a more solid foundation for lasting change.  Do you need to get off any bandwagons this year in order to provide for lasting change in your life? Either way, here’s to a happy, organized New Year!