The only thing dumber than making a New Year’s resolution is not making a New Year’s resolution.

Making a New Year's resolution is like getting married: It requires a level of delusion that shouldn't be socially acceptable.

Most resolutions fail.

The odds are stacked against you.

Think you're the special exception?

So does everyone else.

Making a resolution is dumb.

Wanna know what's even more dumb?

Writing “more dumb” instead of “dumber.”

Also, this:

Writing single-sentence paragraphs.

Also, this:

Not making a resolution.

Yes.

Not making a New Year's Resolution is like being homeless and turning down free samples of mini-weenies at Wal-Mart.

Because there's something special about turning the calendar year (aside from the abnormally large hangover). You are more motivated on January 2nd (after the hangover), as compared to June 22nd, May 4th, October 11th, or any other day of the year.

Maybe because you treat yourself like a dumpster behind Denny’s the week between Christmas Eve and New Year's day knowing the more disgusted you are with your body come January 2nd, the more motivated you'll be to tackle your resolutions?

Perhaps…

Or is it because you have more hope than you otherwise would, on account of seeing yourself as blank as the new calendar, not beholden to your failure fraught past, which means you have a chance to be something besides who you've been, because that's how it goes, right? You are who you are simply because that's who you've proven to be, but when you throw away the old calendar, you throw away who you've been and you suspend disbelief just enough to say: that person doesn't exist anymore, let me show you who I really am.

Perhaps…

But here's the deal: the reason why you are more motivated matters much less than the fact that you are more motivated, because…

Motivation is more elusive than Missing Number.

It's rarely there when you need it, which is why you'd be a fool to ignore New Year's motivation. You'd also be a fool to expect said motivation to last forever. It won't. It never does. This is okay. You don't need it to last forever. You just need enough to build momentum.

Motivation isn't forever fuel. It's a lubricant for the lazy. A downhill slope, to get the stone rolling without expending any effort. Without motivation, you have to push the stone yourself. Uphill. Not impossible to do, but much more difficult.

Regardless of how you get the stone rolling, your job is to keep it rolling. To ride the momentum created by the New Year's motivation, knowing it won't last forever.

Odds say you won't.

But what if you do?

 

May the Gains be with you,
Ant