Wednesday, December 30, 2009

ON FUN ~ How Encouraging...

Photo courtesy ADoseofShipBoy @ Flikr

I am at a bit of a loss here. I mentioned in our December Blueprint that we would be covering "Encouraging Resolutions." But I have no idea what I was talking about!!! Did I mean we were going to make personal resolutions to be more encouraging in life instead of nagging? Or that we would be more encouraging to fellow bloggers and blogless visitors to support their efforts and emotions? Or that it was encouraging that we had come up with any personal resolutions to begin with? That sounds more likely than the others.

We aren't very good at resolutions. Andy made a resolution one year to make a better effort to eat more mushrooms - a food he dislikes. Not exactly stirring stuff there. I resolved once not to make any resolutions. Such a realist.

Nope. Resolutions seem so...I dunno...so Victorian. "I resolve from this day forth to be noble in my encounters with the common man." Please. If we just referred to them as goals I'd be better at creating them. A resolution is a major deal. It is supposed to be huge and challenging, along with having an impact. As opposed to bravely puting up with mushrooms found in prepared food rather than picking them out of the dish.

Three years ago I decided I didn't want to be a slave to smoking anymore. I used the new year as a jumping off point for my goal. Not a resolution. That was too final. Saying I resolved to quit smoking would have sent me running to my pack of smokes to ease my nerves. Saying my goal was to try to quit because it was too damn cold to stand outside like a leper was a nice little trick I played on my mind - giving my addiction a loop hole to cling to and keeping my nerves calm while I bought the patch when my addiction wasn't looking.

I won. I reached my goal - which, in the finality of it, turned it into a resolution after all. So now I set goals when mapping out my hopes and dreams for the new year, letting them turn into resolutions down the road. We Bumbles encourage you to do the same.
~Happy New Year ;0)

17 comments:

cardiogirl said...

Oy. I really do not like resolutions -- New Year's or otherwise. Don't know why.

They always seem so doomed to failure, you know, almost like a joke. So I don't make them. Yes, I'm sure you're shocked to hear that.

Regardless, way to go on quitting smoking! That's a huge accomplishment and something to continually be proud of.

Mike said...

I might make some resolutions later, they should be interesting! LOL!

Happy New Years!

Go Yankees! 2010! HAHAHAHA!

Penny said...

:)
Happy new Year darlings!

Janet said...

Congratulations on quitting smoking :-) It's funny the tricks we can play on our mind and I think it's the most successful among us that can do this! I hope you have an amazing 2010 :-) Thank you for your friendship.

Sandy Nawrot said...

My resolutions have always taken a nose-dive around February, so I've started being more directional in my attempts. Now I know that flies in the face of everything I was taught by the HR people in corporate America, but I am feisty. I don't like absolutes, even when I give them to myself! Hope you guys have a wonderful, smoke-free, mushroom-filled New Years!

colleen said...

I hate setting myself up with resolutions. I bless my food by eating it and resolve to live my life by living it. I do like to review each year and set sites, that feels different than resolutions.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on quitting smoking. My father did it after 30+ years and I saw how hard it was. But thanks to him I never started. When he made the comparison that his quitting would be like me giving up chocolate. So I gave up chocolate for one year. I'm sure quitting smoking was harder!
Some years we sit down and do goals, but no resolutions. Hope 2010 brings you lots of happiness :)

Richard said...

*Huge* kudos for giving up smoking. That's one of the toughest things you'll ever do!

I hope you have an amazing 2010!

Margot said...

I like your thinking on this Molly. Using the word goals is a much better way of bribing myself into doing something I want and should do for my own good. A resolution just seems so negative with no wiggle room.

Hope you and Andy have a wonderful time welcoming in the new year.

ds said...

Well done, Molly! Smoking is one tough addiction; kicking it successfully is cause for a medal.

Resolutions or no resolutions, a very Happy New Year to you and Andy! I'm so happy and grateful to have "bumbled" into your world!

kayerj said...

congratulations!

I think you are right

goals give hope, any success requires planning.

resolutions--are doomed to fail :0

at least that's how it is for me.

Happy New Year

Kathleen said...

I like resolutions but the rebel in me always seems to resist something if I tell myself I have to do it. I like your idea of goal setting. That appeals to the part of me that wants to win...I guess whatever works, right? Happy, Happy New Year! P.S. If you managed to quit smoking you can do ANYTHING!!!

rhapsodyinbooks said...

Totally great idea about not using the word resolution. It's funny but it does fill you anxiety so that you try to fail immediately before you fail! I'm going to try the goal thing!

Happy New Year!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the smoking thing. I smoked years ago and it was the toughest thing I ever did. Man, oh man, those things are so addictive!

Good for you and a Happy New Year!

Anonymous said...

LOLOL! I just reread my comment. I'm tired and it shows. Quitting wast the hardest thing...lol.

Beth F said...

I don't really do resolutions either, but this year I have a couple -- mostly things that will reduce stress.

Quitting smoking is so hard. Way to go.

Happy new year!

Julie said...

Happy New Year, Molly and Andy! And way to go on quitting smoking :)