Happy New Year to you all!
Yes. I know that it will be February by the time you read this, but that doesn’t matter. Did you have a good Christmas? Did you make any New Year resolutions? Are you sticking to them? I thought as much.
I know that it’s traditional to make promises to yourself at the start of a new year. It’s symbolic of a new start, an attempt to change you and your life for the better. But, keeping to your resolutions can be a terrible chore. It always seems to go through the same cycle. At first, it’s exciting to be trying something new. Then, as time goes by, they become inconvenient and you find excuses: you ‘forget’ or “Just this once won’t make any difference.” Then, before you know it, the gym pass is lying forgotten in your coat pocket, the intake of gin goes back to its old levels, and the great novel is left in a drawer somewhere.
Well – allow me to tell you my secret to keeping New Year resolutions.
I. Don’t. Make. Any.
You see, I find it far too easy to abandon my resolutions and discard them like puppies that have grown too big. Instead, if there’s something I want to do, I make a habit of it.
Human beings are great creatures of habit. Even if it’s harmful or something we don’t enjoy, a habit is a hard thing to break. But, if a habit can be harnessed for good, then why not cultivate one?
One of my habits is to make a daily entry in my journal. I take my journal everywhere with me; in fact, it has become one of my defining traits. When I take my journal out and start to scribble in it, nobody seems to notice. It’s just a habit of mine.
Another example. Like most people, I have a Sunday morning routine. Mine starts with Sunday breakfast while listening to the radio. After that I do the household chores. Then I sit down at the kitchen table to do something creative. It doesn’t matter what I do – writing, calligraphy, bookbinding – so long as I feel that I am adding something to the world. It’s a habit.
So, if you really want to do something, don’t make a resolution. Make it a habit!
OMP Admin Note: John Nedwill is a writer, OMP Network member, and a regular #OneMillionProject Blogger. His work can be found on Wattpad.com and in the One Million Project’s Short Story Anthologies published in February 2018.
Our short story anthologies written by over 100 writers have been recently published (links below) with all proceeds being donated to the charity organizations our group supports.
If you are a Kindle Unlimited member, you can read the complete anthology for FREE, and KU proceeds are donated along with the proceeds from the sale of our anthologies.
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