Ditching The Resolutions: In Praise Of Those Who Tried & Failed

/ Ally Bean

Did you know that there’s an official holiday dedicated to those people who make New Year’s Resolutions then fail to stick with them?

[More about it here.]

I was unaware of this holiday but stumbled upon it while doing some research about Julian versus Gregorian calendars.

[More about that topic here.]

It would seem to me, a person who doesn’t make resolutions, that this holiday has a message for all of us– if only to remind us that sometimes good ideas don’t work out the way we think they will.

[More about not resolving here.]

That is to say, where is the harm in taking time to think about what you’d like to change in your life and then giving it a go– if only for a few weeks?

[Statistical analysis of resolutions here.]

Sometimes it’s enough to acknowledge that you need a new perspective on things without going all bonkers about changing everything about yourself on the first try.

[Discussion of issues revolving around successful keeping of resolutions here.]

Of course, for the people who make, then keep their New Year’s Resolutions, today is just another day.

[Inspirational poem here.]

But for the rest of us, even if we never resolve, today is, in my estimation, a guilt-free fun day to take stock of our personal foibles + unfulfilled goals– of which I have many.  😉

73 thoughts on “Ditching The Resolutions: In Praise Of Those Who Tried & Failed”

  3. Yikes. Not even a full three weeks, then, is the average life of a Resolution? I get it. For a lot of people, January is The Cruellest Month. One article I recently read advises Those Who Resolve to wait until April (the actual Cruellest Month, according to Eliot), when weather is more amenable to change overall. One can get outdoors to exercise, there is more sun to feel cheerier (usually), and Spring is a natural season of renewal and rebirth/change.

    Liked by 1 person

    • nance, I know! I was amazed when I stumbled down the rabbit hole into the dark side of resolution-making. I had no idea that most people gave up inside of three weeks. I admire anyone who makes a sincere resolution, and I refuse to accept the idea that failing on your first attempt is bad. I like your idea of making your resolutions in the Spring, a much more hopeful time of year than dreary old Winter.

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  4. Without checking the link, I believe the Julian calendar is currently 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar we use today. So this could be January 4th, and I could still be on vacation from work, and I’d still be three days away from my car completely going out on me. I wonder if there’s a calendar where it’s currently May or September and not zero degrees outside….

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    • evilsquirrel13, your car bit the dust? I’m sorry to hear this– and completely understand your [ever so realistic] desire to go all Roman with the Julian calendar. Makes perfect sense. Just avoid the situation indefinitely… 🙄

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    • Dan, exactly. I feel that this holiday is a good one for coming to terms with that which we haven’t done. Yet. Or maybe, forever. No need to get worried about actually accomplishing anything. 😉

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  6. Several years ago, I framed a resolution and hung it up in my office ~ it’s my kind of resolution:

    May we stay resolved to each breath,
    each act, each moment being enjoyed,
    and may thanks be given,
    regardless of the setbacks.

    ~ Jim O’Connor (Issue 13, HERON DANCE)

    Here’s to enjoying the journey as each moment unfolds into the next.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. I regularly remind myself that I need to exercise – but I hate to exercise – but still, I need to exercise. Myself and I have this discussion frequently. So yesterday I decided to exercise – first thing I did was tweak my back somehow, just getting into position to do an exercise. Okay! Proof positive that exercise is bad for you.

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    • Carol, I’m sorry your back hurts, but your story did make me laugh out loud. I hear ‘ya. I’m not a big fan of exercise either, but I try to convince myself that it’s a good thing. However, I have yet to resolve to do more of it… 😉

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  8. You wrote more about resolutions than I thought was possible. I gave up on them DECADES ago and have been happier for it. I think I’ll take today to celebrate not having burdened myself with a single resolution. Thank you for giving me yet another reason to be happy with today.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. You know how I feel about resolutions and using my vision cards. I’m still getting myself organized for the year. Takes me a while to get all the plans in order, so I would not consider it giving up if I haven’t accomplished it all (anything) yet. I want to know why you were researching the different calendars.

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    • Janet, I’m all about whatever works, works. I love your vision cards, but can’t see me doing them. I have goals throughout the year, but I’ve never been big on resolutions.

      I was looking up the calendars because I was reading a mystery novel that was talking about historical buildings in Europe. There was mention of the dates these buildings were built using both calendars as clues in the mystery. So I got curious about the calendars.

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  10. I don’t ever make resolutions, but I do have goals. I don’t like the artificial boundaries of the New Year, so I revise my objectives any time I want–or get rid of them if they aren’t working/don’t fit. When I used to do aerobics, my class would suddenly be packed in early January. A month later, it would be back to the 10 or so die hards. 🙂

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    • Margaret, I’m with you on the arbitrariness of January 1 as the “official” day on which to change your life. I’m all about taking stock of your behaviors then deciding how to proceed, but to put so much emphasis on one date seems goofy to me. I have goals, I reach them. But I establish my goals when I think it’s time for me to do so. Call me a rebel!

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    • JT Twissel, congratulations! Obviously you’re exempt from sticking to any resolutions today. If you made any to begin with. In retrospect I think that January would have been a great month to get married in.

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    • Susan, thank you. I admire people who make NY resolutions and stick with them. I couldn’t help but be charmed by this holiday even if it’s [seemingly] about failure. As far as I’m concerned making your resolutions stick until the 17th is success. Or a good start. Like you said, life gets in the way– so you gotta learn to go with it.

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  14. The columnist Sidney J. Harris called that “things I learned en route to learning other things.”

    Did you notice that there was a Jesuit at the helm on creating the Gregorian calendar? Figures, right?

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    • John, I like Harris’s assessment of resolutions. So very true. As someone who studied in a Jesuit university, I’m not surprised either. Who else would have the inclination to adjust time… just because?

      [Also, unrelated: Is the A to Z Challenge going on this year? The link I followed for it is dead.]

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    • Carrie, no doubt that when the time is right you’ll learn Spanish. From what I can tell there’s not much difference between unfulfilled goals and dreams! Eventually both can come true, with a bit of effort, of course. 😉

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  16. I loved Julie Whoever’s take on it, as they’re my sentiments exactly.
    I did make a decision around NYE — I’m not going to make time to paint the bathroom. I’ll pay someone else. Go me!
    PS: I’ll be at the gym when all these crazed resolutionists are back to whatever they did before they infiltrated the Y.

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    • joey, I respect your decision to hire painters, having done that many times before. Back when I had a gym membership I used January to do less exercise, waiting for the crazed resolutionists to get over themselves. Now, of course, as a homebody those people don’t directly affect me. I applaud anyone who wants to change for the better, but have to wonder why it must be a once a year thing… says the free spirit.

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    • Betsy, I had no idea that this holiday existed and now that I do know I feel like it’s a good one for all of us. I’m not big on resolutions either, but I figure no matter what I do, failure is always a possible part of the experience! Perhaps that’s why I like this holiday so much.

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  19. Yeah, that’s why I try to set small goals for myself. Even my reading goals tend to be a crapshoot, but it’s nice to see how close to making each one I get.

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  20. Hi, Ally – I never knew that a holiday to ditch our New Year’s Resolutions actually existed. That is good info to have. Two years ago, my NY Resolution stuck solid (and is still sticking). Last year my NY resolution was an immediate and total bust! This year (so far) I have kept with my (very broad) NY goal….but I may need to call on this day in the future if things don’t continue to work out as planned.
    Thanks for sharing this.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Donna, when I read about this holiday I got a kick out of it. Your track record with NY resolutions is a good one. I imagine that as with anything, if you’re really ready to change then you will. Hang tough on this year’s NY goal. You can do it! 👍

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  23. My email notifications seemed to have left you off the list — I’d been wondering about you and then today I see that you’ve been posting all along! Trying to catch up …!

    I always have good intentions for resolutions, but somehow I lose the bigger picture in the throes of the unexpected little things that pop up and turn everything upside down. But this year, I’m determined to see through at least one resolution!! But I suppose if need be, I can celebrate the holiday to ditch my NYRs.

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    • Kate, you’re the second person to tell me that you’re not receiving the email notifications for this blog. I pay a pirate’s ransom for this account to be a Business one. I’ll look into seeing what’s going wrong. Thanks for telling me.

      I understand how the unexpected little things turn life upside down and with that your resolutions go bust. I’m more of a goal setter, than a resolution maker– but life gets in my way, too.

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