Resolutions Challenge

Guest Post by Trish Tobias

Have you started formulating your “New Year’s Resolutions” for 2012 yet? No? Well good, before you do, let’s complete a little exercise. Hmmm… exercise, one of those words often found right after “resolutions”… sorry, I digress. Have you ever thought about the word “RESOLUTION,” broken it down in your mind, and examined its meaning?

One word for it is PROMISE – Do you keep your promises? Or is a promise something that can be broken when given the right set of circumstances to explain it away?

Another word is PLEDGE – For instance, I pledge allegiance to the flag. Are those just words you say from memory, and have they lost the ability to stir your heart and mean what they say?

Then there is the word OATH – Big, scary word. When I think of oath, I picture the tenacity of doctors and their oath, or a renowned judge, responsible for sentencing people who have wronged society. Pretty serious stuff.

Or how about VOW – That of course brings to my mind “wedding vows.” Sad but true, how easily those are tossed aside these days, so does a vow really hold you to a commitment?

Those are just a few replacement words for “RESOLUTION”. Why not start a new trend in your mind, or coin a new phrase, and call “New Year’s Resolutions” something different?

For example you could substitute:

• 2012 PROMISES to myself
• I PLEDGE the following in 2012
• Upon MY OATH, I will do such and such in 2012
• I VOW in 2012 to… .

Maybe if we look carefully at the way that we have so easily discarded previous years’ “RESOLUTIONS,” we could find a way to make it more real by using a strong new word, making it more relatable to what we want to accomplish.

So, here is my glass raised in toast to you and the New Year. May you use your resolve, determination, steadfastness, tenacity, firmness, perseverance, doggedness, and purpose (all these are related to the word “RESOLUTION”) to come up with a plan of action that is tailor-made for YOU.

Wishing you all the best and success in 2012!

Trish Tobias is a loving and motivated woman, whose mission is to inspire others to live life to its fullest by her example.

You can reach Trish at motivatedtobias@gmail.