The first week of January is barely over, and already the media is bombarding us with reflections on New Year's resolutions and how most people fail within the first month, or even first week. As a slight aside, are you aware of the top ten resolutions? Here's a list as produced in an American national paper:
1. Spend more time with family and friends.
2. Fit in fitness.
3. Tame the bulge.
4. Quit smoking.
5. Enjoy life more.
6. Quit drinking.
7. Get out of debt.
8. Learn something new.
9. Help others.
10. Get organized.
All very laudable resolutions, and each one is aimed at making life better, or making us better people. So how sad is it that 95% of resolutions are never kept? It seems that making a resolution is so easy, but keeping it is so difficult. Why do people find it so difficult to keep their resolutions?
The key reason is that to keep a resolution means moving out of your comfort zone. It's been very comfortable to sit in front of the TV and eat convenience food. It's much less comfortable to visit the gym at least three times a week and really watch what we eat.
How deep is the desire? How much do you really want a better body, or how important is it to you that you give up smoking?
The story is told of the young man who approached the philosopher, Socrates, and said, "Socrates, teach me what you know." The great teacher looked at the young man and said, "Do you really want to know all that I know?" "Oh, yes teacher, I do," the student replied. "Then walk with me for a while," Socrates said. So they walked for a while in silence. The learned philosopher slipped his arm around the young man's shoulder and guided him off the path and into the shallow waters of a lake. The young man thought that this was a strange way for the philosopher to teach him what he knew, but after all, he was Socrates, so the student decided to go along with what was happening.
They continued to walk into the water; it rose to their ankles, then knees and hips, until finally they were standing in water to their shoulders. Suddenly the arm that was around the young man's shoulders tightened around his neck and pulled him underneath the water's surface. This was a very strange way to teach the student what he wanted to know, but this was Socrates, after all, so he submitted. He grabbed a breath before he went under, so he wasn't bothered for the first fifteen or twenty seconds, but after about 30 seconds he wondered when Socrates would let him up. He gave a signal to indicate that he had been under long enough and wanted to get out. Another few seconds and the young man began to fight for all he was worth. He kicked and clawed and scratched, but the hold was strong and he began to lose his strength.
At that moment Socrates pulled him out of the water and dragged him to the shore where he began to revive him. When he caught his breath, angry and confused, the student looked into the face of one of the greatest philosophers of all time and said, "What was that all about?" Socrates looked into his eyes and said, "When you desire to know what I know as much as you just desired to live, then you will know".
How strong is your desire? How much do you really desire to start your own business, or get out of debt? To be really successful in keeping your resolutions and achieving your goals, then your desire has to be everything. You need to really want to lose weight, run that marathon, learn to speak French - whatever it is, it has to be your focus.
It's the first thing you think about upon waking, and the last thing you think about at night. Does it sound like a tall order? I'm not surprised, but if you really want to achieve something, to be one of the 5% who actually keeps a New Year's resolution, then this is the level of commitment that is required.