The Beauty and the Beast of New Year Resolutions

Each year comes with the chorus of wishing loved ones a happy, fulfilling and prosperous new year. Similarly New Year's resolutions have evolved from antiquity as a common tradition in our contemporary world whereby people declare their commitments to improving their lives by realising some targets in the course of the year. Such goals provide us with a focus to direct our energy as we navigate through the challenges and changing scenes of life. Hence we are armed with a sense of direction and purpose, and occasionally a feeling of belonging to something bigger than ourselves. Nonetheless as we are ushered deeper into the warm embrace of a new year, the determination to value each moment and make each day count must be premised on our peculiar ultimate lifetime ambitions.

The fleeting nature of time juxtaposed with the increasing demands of modern life is such that managing life’s daily demands have translated into a balancing act where we wake up thinking about what we need to do each day. To-do-list, SMART goals, SWOT Analysis, Strategic Planning amongst others have all emerged as models to help people realise their goals and make optimum use of their scarce resources. However, a blind motivation for what must be done or what is expected of us at the beginning of the year can be such that the initial enthusiasm about our dreams gives way to undue stress as we are weighted down by the pressure to realise all our goals.
This can be further worsened by setting unreasonable goals or failure in keeping a balance as per our physical and emotional health coupled with our set of goals. It is said that too much of everything is bad hence without careful consideration our daily routine may be characterised by: (1) running as fast as we can to accomplish everything; (2) going in circles, without a clear sense of direction; (3) going through the motions yet finding little pleasure; or (3) missing out on opportunities to relax and enjoy the blessings of life. We may find ourselves overloaded, overworked, overwhelmed, and burned out - not moving at all. The ensuing pressure and stress can result in depression, apprehension, hopelessness, worry as well as physical problems. Such a scenario begs two questions: do I work harder and risk further stress or sit on the fence, throw in the towel and not achieve something of value?
As time and tide wait for no man, life is lived only forwards and understood backwards. Hence learning from our past shortfalls is one way of improving our performance. But with life’s journey learning from those who have gone ahead is vital to appreciating the true priorities in life to make informed choices about living every day to the fullest. Hence, it is said that the cemetery is the richest place on earth because there in the grave are countless potentials, ideas or dreams that did not see the light of day hence perishing with their human associates. Such hints on some of the basic priorities around which we can channel our scarce resources can be gleaned from the regrets of the people in the twilight of their life’s journey. This similarly brings to mind the insightful revelations made to a palliative nurse as she conversed with patients in their last moments whilst on their deathbed. The result of this experience over several years was filtered resulting in the book The Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware.



“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiates 12:13). If you are confronted with the question of doing something for the Lord or for the world?, then the advice of one of the wisest men to grace the earth suggests the first is a path leading to satisfaction and the latter is a highway leading to regret. Moreover it has been said, "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." Life is much more than just a measure of our days. It is what we do for the Lord that leaves a lasting legacy for posterity. So let your yearly resolutions reflect the long-term view of life as to what you ultimately want to achieve when all said is done than solely for the here and then; with the aim of will pleasing the creator and leaving your mark in the annals of time. Finally as you work hard on the goals you deem important, take time to also stop and smell the roses in the quest for a balanced and fulfilling life.


Submitted by: Felix Kwabena Donkor, Johannesburg-South Africa