Dawn of a New Year

“The New Year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals”. This famous quote by self-help guru Melody Beattie says it all.

Yet another New Year - 2015 - is upon us. It is like an empty canvas and we have to paint the picture as we go on in the next 365 days. Most people write down or memorise a set of resolutions that they hope to fulfill as the year advances. New Year’s Eve is often seen as a time of rebirth, the chance to start anew. We all come up with the regular resolutions for the upcoming year, but often our ideas of what should change are too broad or too narrow. The best solution is to traverse a middle path.

Some may want to get a better job, another may wish to travel to a new country and another may wish to study for and pass an exam. These resolutions differ from person to person, but at the core of each resolution one can find a desire for self-advancement. This is a natural human trait is renewed all the time, not just on New Year’s Eve.

But looking back on the past year (2014), just how many of those resolutions have you completed or fulfilled? Among the most popular New Year resolutions are: Losing weight, getting a better job, cutting down on tobacco and alcohol, foreign travel, becoming debt free and increasing savings, eating healthy food, getting healthy and fit, managing stress and worries, getting organised, achieving better relationships and spending more time with your family, further education or learning something new, more religious activity, buying new vehicles, a better commitment to the environment, helping others and simply enjoying life more.

Phenomenon

You might have done them all, which is indeed exceptional. On the other hand, you might have had zero success with one or more of those efforts due to a variety of factors, some of which may have been beyond your control. But what if you had the time and the inclination but not the resolve? This is a very common phenomenon when it comes to New Year resolutions. Just go through your resolutions and try to find out why you achieved some but failed in others. Such a self-introspection is a must.

Determination is the key to getting through your New Year resolutions. As motor racing legend Mario Andretti so succinctly put it, “Desire is the key to motivation, but its determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek”. A firm resolve is a must to complete any assigned task, including a New Year resolution. It is therefore best to assign a separate time period for your desired resolutions, which will ensure that you do not veer away from those principles. It is also advisable to maintain a journal - if you are not into physical writing, there are plenty of smartphone/tablet apps that will help you do it.

For example, if you smoke and want to eliminate this habit altogether, a very firm determination is the order of the day. Every time you feel you want to take a puff, you have to pull away. If you want to study for a given exam, set aside a particular time period and allow no distractions. Then you will attain success finally. Mental strength is the key to honouring most New Year resolutions. If the mind becomes weak, there cannot be any success in any venture.

It seems that most New Year resolutions are all about “me, myself”. There is really nothing wrong about this approach, but it may leave you with an “unfulfilled” feeling. The key to get of this predicament is helping others directly or indirectly even in a small way. Remember the old adage that money cannot buy happiness - but if spend money on others’ well-being, that is sure to make you happy. You can join a volunteer organisation or do it yourself - donate to a worthy cause, help a child to get through school or engage in charitable work. Even everyday acts count - if you stop for a few minutes to help a blind or elderly person cross the road, that too qualifies as an altruistic act.

Happiness

Research has shown that helping others creates a feeling of happiness. Ironically, you are more likely to complete this New Year resolution than those centred on yourself.

If you are engaged in a business, CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) is the best away to do it. That way, all your colleagues and employees will be part of the initiative. They too will be happy to have shared your enthusiasm for doing good. That, after all, is the very essence of life.

However, one must also make a list of what should NOT be done in the New Year as well. These can be fairly ordinary things. If you cannot get away from your Facebook feed or the television set even while having dinner, you can be determined to stop that habit. Some other ‘not to do’ things go a little deeper - you can, for instance, stop making any enemies by forgetting and forgiving those who have wronged you.

That will take away the bitterness of anger and hatred from your mind. (Equally important, make new friends, say Hi to someone new once in a while).

You should also stop worrying about mundane things that do not really concern you. And stop judging people by their looks or even by what they say initially. They could be much better inside.

As former Prime Minister of Sweden Goran Persson said “Let our New Year's resolution be this: we will be there for one another as fellow members of humanity, in the finest sense of the word.” That, of course, should be valid for all time, not just for the New Year.