According to History.com, “The ancient Babylonians are said to have been the first people to make New Year’s resolutions, some 4,000 years ago.” Research suggests that somewhere between eighty and ninety-two percent of resolutions fail.
The most likely reason for these statistics is that people choose resolutions that are too much of an about turn from their normal habits. Being outside of your comfort zone is a great way to make new and wonderful things happen in your life, but too much discomfort is unsustainable. If you are thinking of joining the Babylonians in the tradition of making resolutions to better your self and your life, here are five ideas for some solid, achievable new habits that you can carry with you through the new year, and beyond!
1. Quit Facebook
No, really. Do it! Think about what you could do with that extra time. “But how will I keep in touch with people?” Do it like they did in the old days; call people, go out for dinner, or coffee. It will be enriching, and you’ll probably get more out of interacting with people this way.
I’ve always been a fan of taking things out of my life that I feel I depend too much on. At one point I felt I was spending too much time on “The Social Network,” and it felt decidedly anti-social, so I signed out of FB three years ago and haven’t looked back.
2. Work Out!
To borrow some words from Nike, “Just Do It!” Put yourself through some shit. Run a 5k, a 10k, do a Tough Mudder or other obstacle race. Always liked watching Olympic lifting on the TV? Go learn to do it. Swim, run, hike, lift, grapple, do yoga, Tai Chi.
It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you’re moving. Movement inspires better health, and being in good health makes the year easier to get through. It’s also easier to bounce back from life’s many challenges when we’re in good physical and mental fettle. If you already work out, challenge yourself with a new sport or up your standards.
3. Seek The Truth
Like Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, we should be concerned with searching for the truth. Fake news websites and stories shared on social media have been accused of affecting the election, almost getting people shot in a pizzeria, and most recently nearly starting a nuclear war between Pakistan and Israel.
I recently heard a politician on NPR saying that people have different facts. Somebody fire this man! A fact is a piece of information that is undeniable, or in other words, a truth. Let’s take some better advice from a different politician, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who once said, “You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.” A great resolution for us all is to make sure we fact check information we come across, especially when it is potentially inflammatory.
4. Read More
It doesn’t matter what you like to read, just read. Unless it’s fake news, don’t read that. John Waters has supposedly been known to say, “If you go home with somebody, and they don't have books, don't fuck 'em!” Whether or not you agree with the idea of withholding sexual attention, the sentiment is important. Reading imparts knowledge and exercises the brain and the thought process. It's just one way of broadening our intellectual horizons, but it’s an important one.
5. Get Out Of That Comfort Zone
All the suggestions above require some degree of venture outside of one's safe-space, and it does sound cliché. But for the life of me I cannot recall a time when I made real, tangible progress in my life without being squarely in an uncomfortable position. Whether it’s taking a risk putting yourself out there, at work, in a relationship, or feeling inadequate, or out of your element. Put yourself in new situations that challenge you to live outside of what you’re used to and good things can happen.
