No More New Year's Resolutions

I have spent many,  many years (more than I care to admit) making New Year's Resolutions, which frankly, have never lasted more than a week. Generally, they focus on losing weight and getting in shape, organizing/redecorating every room in the house, and generally organizing/redecorating every other facet of my life. What is it about January 1st that makes us think that all of the things that we were unable to buckle down and accomplish in the previous year (or decade) will suddenly and magically come to pass? Why do we wait until January 1, or Monday, or our birthday, to throw ourselves wholeheartedly into whatever endeavor we think we should accomplish, only to fail a few hours, days, or weeks later?

This year, I resolve not to make any New Year's Resolutions. Instead, I will resolve, each morning, to do something small to improve my life, my health, or that of those around me. That way, I only have to keep my resolution for 1 day, and not 365, in order to be successful. I could resolve to work out that day, or drink 8 glasses of water, or make a healthy dinner for the family, or call a friend who has been down, or let someone get in front of me in line at the grocery store check out.

I don't have to reinvent my whole entire life on January 1, or any other day, for that matter. Because if I keep my daily resolutions, imagine what I will have accomplished at the end of the year. Small things count. In fact, small things done over time count a whole lot more than huge things. I will never be President or find a cure for cancer or the common cold, but I can, through daily example and training, raise kids who are loving, kind, and considerate. And who knows, maybe one day one of them  will be President.