Resolutions

At the beginning of the year there are a lot of new resolutions. Last year I started the year with a theme word that represented my goals. As I writer, I thought it was fun, and I happen to like thinking about words. I like having a word that represents what I want to accomplish. Goals in the new year are always challenging after the first week or month. I’ve found that a single word representing the goals, help keep me focused and I’m able to go back to those goals.

Since I like thinking about words sometimes, I happened to start thinking about the word Resolutions. While going into the history of the word may be interesting, I have a tendency to not like doing a lot of research. Instead I use what I already know to analyze and evaluate words.

First of all, a new year resolution represents a solution we have to make our lives better, but we have a tendency to reuse them from year to year. So a Re-Solution for a new year’s goal makes sense. We all have this problem, unfortunately. However, I still believe it’s a good thing.

Resolve is sort of a root to the word, which suggests the new or renewed decision. I feel it fits the scenario quite well. January every year, we tend to make the decision again to make some changes. Resolve also suggests a large amount of determination. This decided determination is critical for an accomplished goal. So when looking at your goals, make sure you really have that determination, or you may want to adjust the goal.

The next way that I analyzed the word was a bit of a stretch, but I still found it beneficial. Resolve must be related to dissolve, cause it sounds like the same word with a different prefix. (see, a stretch) But to dissolve something, you allow it to slowly break down. So, since re- is the repairing version or opposite of dis-, then you must be slowly building something. Therefore, a resolution is a slow process of building habits or progress towards an achievement.

Clearly this analysis isn’t exactly scientific, but I feel like it helps put a New Year’s Resolution into the right perspective. As a result, I plan to use RESOLVE as my word for the year, I’ll tie my specific goals to that word and work on them with resolve. The ultimate goal is to have determination in working on my goals and to approach them as a day-to-day process. I don’t have to be perfect, just better.

How has this effected your New Year’s Resolutions or how you’ll approach them this year? What is your word for the year? Please, feel free to comment about your goals and any tips or suggestions you have! Good luck on your resolutions!