At a party the other night, I
asked someone if they had any New Year’s resolutions. I’ve never really been
one for resolutions, but over the past several year-end changes, I’ve tried to
be more resolute in the things that matter to me the most. I simply vow to
work harder at whatever it is that I'm already doing. I felt that resolutions
were desperate calls for help by people whose lives were spinning out of
control.
New Year’s resolutions seemed to
be a very American concept in a land where bookstores are piled high with huckster manifestos
on how to lose weight, quit smoking, make more money, have better sex, and a
thousand other things most resolutioners will never come close to achieving. If
you need to induce vomiting, just query “New Year’s resolutions” and you’ll get
thousands advice columns on how to run your metaphoric marathon or whatever the
fuck you want to do. I mostly live by the motto “Don’t want to do something, do
it.”
I was surprised when the person
at the party said that he did actually have a few resolutions. “I want to quit
smoking,” he began. I thought this was a wise decision on his part, but he
wasn’t finished. He continued with a torrent of things that he wanted to
achieve, of behaviors he wanted to modify, and places he wanted to see. Had I
not known this person, already brimming with remarkable accomplishments, I would have probably laughed it all
off as an unrealistic boast. I wished him luck.
I couldn’t help but consider my
own lack of ambition, at least when it came to making resolutions. Way to play
it safe, I thought to myself. Nothing ventured, nothing gained was just one of
the slogans that passed through my head. The more I thought about the audacity
of taking on a host of challenges, the more I warmed up to the idea.
I don’t smoke, I honestly
exercise about as much as you are supposed to exercise, I read profusely, I eat
great food that I cook at home, I’m close to my ideal weight, but to say that I
have a lot of room for improvement is a grotesque understatement. Perhaps I
should climb out on a limb, or climb higher up the tree, or make it to the
summit, or try to do more?
I think what we are trying to do
when we make resolutions is to be the best version of ourselves. I love the
fantasy of how we can somehow unleash the power of our brains to use its full
potential, sort of like plot of the book/film
Limitless. If they ever do come up with a drug to enhance
brain capacity, I probably won’t be able to afford it. I'll need to
stick to the old-fashioned method of just working harder.
Work harder, try harder. Who couldn’t
use a bit more of these platitudes in their daily routine? Parents exhort their
children to do this as part of the whole process of child-rearing. A big
problem is that as soon as mom and dad aren’t around, once they take their boots off the neck of their offspring, lots of recent adults
turn into indolent slobs. I’ve seen this again and again with people who grew
up being forced to play a musical instrument. I envy anyone who learned to play
piano as a child, because starting late in life presents almost insurmountable
obstacles, but at least I’m playing everyday instead of someone who was good
when they were 14 years old and hasn’t gone near a keyboard since.
Instead of being coy or
condescending about the concept of resolutions, perhaps I need to take sight of
my shortcomings in life and carpet-bomb them, or at least take a vow to do
that. What’s the worst that could happen? I don’t think I’d be breaking any laws
if I were to break a resolution or ten, and I’d be in good company, or if not good
company, then at least a lot of it. This would fit in with one of my resolutions
to become more sociable.
…to be continued (my
written resolutions)
