Jogging on Eggshells when making New Year’s Resolutions
December 31, 2017
Resolutions? I’ve had a few, but then again, too few to mention. I did what I had to do, and saw it through without exemption. To steal a line from Frank Sinatra, I have had a few New Year’s resolutions over the years; too few to mention.
What is your New Years resolution? To lose weight, to exercise more, to quit smoking, to quit nagging, to save money, to get organized, to go to church more, to quit throwing eggs at parked cars ?
Early this morning, as I ran through the quiet neighborhood streets of our sleepy community, I noticed a smattering of white egg shell pieces under my sneakers. Parent’s check your fridge. If you’re missing a carton of eggs, you might want to have a chat with your child.
Once again, it is the end of a holiday break and the natives are already restless. I’ve seen a pattern; the end of summer break, Halloween weekend and now winter break, the kids are bored and restless and searching for a thrill of not getting caught while flinging eggs at parked cars. They know it’s bad and they shouldn’t be doing it, but they like the excitement of wreaking havoc on a car’s paint job or just leaving a mess to clean up.
With another year upon us, kids (like adults) will mature, and with resolve will outgrow or change their bad habits.
Do you have bad habits you need to break? Are you doing things, like over indulging on food, smoking, shopping, that needs to be reined in? Isn’t that what a New Year resolution helps us monitor? We want to make a change, but we enjoy the thrill of flinging that egg and not getting caught. But over time too many tossed eggs, and we’re bound to be caught. One more piece of chocolate cake, and then another and before we know it, we are in need of losing 10 pounds, 20 pounds, each year it snowballs.
So we pick a date, usually the New Year; January 1, and decide to quit that habit. But we know most resolutions are broken within weeks, some days, even within hours. So make your resolution goals achievable. Bad habits didn’t happen overnight, they developed over time. Achieving your goal won’t happen overnight either, make it attainable in small chunks, one egg at a time.
And when you feel that urge to break your resolution, think of a tradeoff. And no, I don’t mean grabbing a 12 pack of toilet paper to toss in the trees. Trading one bad habit for another is not perseverance. I mean a walk outside versus a walk to the refrigerator, cleaning out your closet versus a shopping spree. A trade-off.
New Year’s resolutions are like jogging on eggshells, it feels unnatural, it’s not easy, and their most likely broken.
Good luck with your New Year’s resolutions!
Happy New Year!
What are your favorite New Year’s goals?
5 Dozen Large Grade A Eggs Smashed in the Street
Happy Post Christmas and Happy New Year to you!
