you say you want a reSolution

Ah yes, it's that time of year again when the Gregorian calendar year sheds its past 365 days and begins anew.

According to www.newyear2011.net, the 10 most popular New Year's resolutions for this year are (in reverse order):

10. Move to a new house
9. Take a trip
8. Start a hobby
7. Give up a bad habit
6. Get organized
5. Pursue higher education
4. Pay off debt
3. Find a mate
2. Change jobs
1. Get into shape

These top 10 shouldn't be surprising to anyone. What surprises me is that year after year, so many suckers continue to make New Year's resolutions. It's not that I think trying to better oneself is a negative thing- I'm all for it. I support the notion of self improvement 100%. It's just that I personally do not believe that waiting until January 1 every year to attempt self-revolution is either logical or effectual.

Anyone who really wants to better themselves will take action on any day of the year. Waiting until January 1 already indicates that you are flighty and uncommitted. If you really want to lose 25 pounds, you won't wait until after you pig out on fruitcake, gingerbread, glazed hams, and other sweet and savory holiday morsels to commit to it. I once read somewhere that Americans gain an average of 6 pounds over the holidays. So now you've got to lose 31 pounds, making the task that much more daunting. This doesn't just apply to losing weight- the same goes for quitting smoking, accumulating debt (which as we all know is a slippery slope during the November/December months), etc. The more you make something a part of your routine, the harder it is to break. Those who really want to change won't put it off. The act of putting it off means you're still a slave to it on some level.

How many people do you know actually keep their resolutions longer than one month? Two months? I can feel the numbers dwindling through the computer screen. The thing with New Year's resolutions is that at the very first sign of positive results, Pride creeps in. And we all know who Pride's best friend is: Arrogance. They are like Bonnie and Clyde. Laurel and Hardy. Butch and Sundance. They are both inseparable and destructive. At the first taste of success, people tend to think they deserve to reward themselves and even worse, that they don't need to continue to do what they did to get those results in the first place! It's human nature. We as a species lack discipline and humbleness, and the fact that we all wait around until January 1 to become a part of this mass attempt at self-betterment not only cheapens the process, but also greatly decreases the potential success rate.

Maybe my cynicism finds its roots in my annoyance of how crowded the gym is during the first few weeks of January, or the observation of empty shelves where boxes of Nicorette used to be. Or maybe how year-in and year-out I witness the same people failing at the same resolutions. I'm not really sure. Just to reiterate,  I feel I must post a disclaimer that I am not out to be the be-all, end-all of New Year's resolution naysaying. Godspeed to all of you looking to better yourselves! Any commitment to positive self-revolution is noble in nature, and if you are still on whatever wagon you hopped on this January 1 come July- I shall commend you. I'm simply stating my disbelief in the success of the institution, and maybe even offering a warning to all of you embarking on the journey.

That said, bring on 2011.

"The Old Year has gone. Let the dead past bury its own dead. The New Year has taken possession of the clock of time. All hail the duties and possibilities of the coming twelve months!" - Edward Payson Powell