It’s that time of year… the time when we make promises to ourselves to {loose weight|take care of finances better|treat someone/everyone better|do this that, or the other thing better, less, or more}. We say that we are making resolutions, but do we ever stop to really think about what it means to “resolve” to do something?

I have an idea of what this means in my mind, but I decided to look it up for shits and giggles. There are 2 usages, a noun and a verb.

Resolve

Verb: Settle or find a solution to (a problem, dispute, or contentious matter).

Noun: Firm determination to do something.

If you are here, stop, and read those definitions again, maybe, a few times, actually. Let that really sink in.

Firm. Determination. To. Do. Something.

Now, think about your “new year’s resolution”. Does the above describe how you feel about the “resolution” that you’ve made? If so, GREAT! You get it. If not, think about the resolution you have made and really think about your motivations and your reasons for making it. Is it just something you kinda-wanna do or is it something that is deeply important to you?

I feel like, for lots of people, there’s an unspoken sentiment that we will all say we are going to resolve to do some crap, then 2 weeks later, we say “yeah, whatever, never mind”. That isn’t resolve. You haven’t yet internalized the desire to have whatever it is you’ve decided to do.

“Resolve” means you will do anything and everything to make what you want to happen, happen.

You might not know every step to take and you might have hindrances and challenges along the way, but if the resolve is there NOTHING will stop you from accomplishing what it is that you want.

It doesn’t matter what your resolution is, the above sentiment applies to any and all things that one could resolve to do. I remember reading Tim Ferris’ “The Four Hour Body” and he makes a fantastic point which he encapsulates into a term he calls the “Harajuku Moment“. In short, this is the moment when you realize that what you are trying to do is a matter of life and death. Most people people will not commit themselves to something until they see it from this perspective. The perfect example is your typical middle aged, overweight, out of shape human hearing “If you don’t loose weight, you will die very soon” from their primary care doctor.

At this point, it’s no longer a game and failure is not an option. Well, unless you want to die. That sentiment is WAY different from “you could loose a few pounds, but whatever, it’s not really hurting you”.

I feel like I’m rambling. Back to the point…

I am not making resolutions this year. I know what I need to work on and I know where I need to go. I don’t need a resolution starting on a certain date to become a better {person|athlete|husband|father|son|etc.}.

You shouldn’t either.