The writer is a barrister of Lincoln’s Inn and has a degree in English Literature and Economics from Bryn Mawr College, US
“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language. And next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.” — TS Eliot, American Poet (1888-1965)
There is something compelling about the New Year. Is it, perhaps, the feeling of time passing without much to show for it? Or is it the seductive possibility of erasing the past and of making a new, more perfect beginning? Whatever the reasons for our fascination with it, the New Year presents an opportunity for making yet another list of ambitious resolutions to be aspired to for perhaps a month and then relegated to the bottom of the drawer, only to be revisited at the end of the year with an even greater feeling of time passing, and an even more fervent desire to start afresh.
As this year draws to a close and I face yet another possibility of repeating the same cycle, I realise that I cannot go on as before and absolutely have to make resolutions that I can adhere to. I, therefore, embark upon extensive research and soon realise that a large factor in the viability of our resolutions lies not in the inherent strength of our will power, but in our mindset at the time we make them, the manner in which we do so and in the extent of the impact these resolutions are likely to have. You may well ask what I mean by all this, so here it is: the magical recipe for adhere-able resolutions, in five easy-to-follow steps:
1) The Mindset: The first requirement is being fed up with the status quo and having an almost desperate desire for change, the kind that comes only after one has lived and suffered with a problem long enough (be it a job, personal appearance or even the rubbish heap piled on one’s street) and has tried —and failed — at all efforts to come to terms with it.
2) The Manner: Next, it is important to know what you want in clear, specific and positive terms. So, if you are fed up with your job or appearance, you must know the kind of job you want instead or the appearance you prefer and if it’s the rubbish heap that bothers you, then you must have a reasonably vivid mental picture of a clean street.
3) The Courage: It is not enough to simply want something, unless you want it badly enough. This requires painstakingly identifying any existing and potential obstacles in your path and locating within yourself (or in persons or things accessible to you) or acquiring the resources necessary to overcome these obstacles.
4) The Plan: This is the most difficult part. It requires having a realistic timetable, broken down into manageable steps. So, we need a start and a finish date and specific, identified milestones in-between. Of course, this does not mean that if the plan does not proceed perfectly it should be abandoned. A good plan always has a Plan B.
5) The Secret: Beyond all this is the mystery ingredient of service to others. Add a dimension of selflessness to the resolution and watch it succeed or make it narrow and selfish and mark its failure. So, even if it’s getting a new job or losing weight, think of how it may benefit those around you and this generosity of thought will, in itself, become the driving force in your success.
Making resolutions in this way is a far cry from the whimsical desires we generally throw out in the universe around New Year’s Eve but it is perhaps the only way in which we can make them work and in doing so, bring about a positive transformation not only in our own lives but also in the lives of those around us. And now imagine everyone making resolutions in a similar, thoughtful and well-considered manner. Imagine politicians and government officials putting the same kind of sincerity, energy and effort in their slogans and their promises and witness in your mind’s eye, the entire country starting afresh and remember, if you can imagine it, you can have it.
Wishing everyone a happy new year.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 30th, 2012.
COMMENTS (2)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
Wishing everyone a Happy New Pakistan.
Amen!
The universal truth of any new year remains as one might say bringing in resolutions like any piece of imagination or innate desires which are seldom fulfilled in the next year. Resolutions are made which may or may not have the desired feasibility to be implemented and fulfilled as desired hence they remain unfulfilled only to be pushed forward to the next year. This has been a common practice and has been going on since time immemorial. One will agree that a need to change this mindset is a basic requirement needed to ensure that a new year resolution is completed during that year and in order to change the mindset the necessary courage and prepare the manner one would want to change ones mindset is equally essential. The resolution or resolutions must be resolute and practical and should after having decided to move forward with the required courage a defined plan need to be chalked out which no doubt is not an easy task. The secret of success lies not just in hard work but also in doing the necessary work in an intelligent and feasible manner with a resolve or determination that the desire goal will be achieved or as a doer shall reach to the nearest point of the goal. Achieving the goal alone should not be considered as the yardstick of fulfillment of the resolution but arriving closer to the goal too, is an achievement in itself which cannot and should not be considered as in any way trivial for it is a substantial win in itself. Every year if a person reviews his resolutions taken in the previous year and the extent to which the same have been fulfilled or achieved then there will always be a confidence in the mind to move further in the next year.