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Over the years I have learned how to deal with certain aspects of my own brain or mind.It does not like words that sound like “commands” and resolutions seem to fit into that category.
Sentences that contain should, will, and ought fragments tend to create an opposite effect or they instill the idea that such fragments have already been taken care of.
It’s why to-do lists don’t work for my head – once I write down the list of what I am “supposed” to do – my mind treats the list as “things already accomplished.”
Worse is that the phenomenon is not one that happens 100% of the time – but it happens often enough that I’ve had to find ways to deal with my own type of brain. And I do that mostly by making lists of “suggestions.”
Instead of calling a list “to-do” I mentally call it something like “it would be great to get these things done this week, month or year.” On paper the list has no real title and on my computer the document is often called “ideas.”
Believe me – I have read and tried most gurus fail-safe ways to organize and plan – and they don’t work or they work for a bit and then stop working.
With 2 major degrees in hand I know I can actually accomplish scheduled things – so I have finally stopped reading and trying “how to get and stay organized” material and have adopted a more casual approach to my work life.
And I feel like I need to add a warning like they say on TV – “don’t try this at home.”
Maybe unless you too have tried all the other ways of working?
comments? thoughts? thank you 
Comments
8 responses to “Do You Make New Year Resolutions? Why I Don’t”
No resolutions for me, either.
And I have the exact same experience with to-do lists like you, Lynn. I evolved mine to a pensieve: a list whose main purpose is to get rid of all the ideas, wishes etc. That keep clogging up my mind. If the idea is important enough to me, it will materialize in some form. If it does not, it didn’t need to. Apparently.
Making the list is still very helpful, though. It will usually spur a set of useful, but different activities. Somehow the ones occupying my mind kept those hidden.
As for resolutions: if I want to do something, I’ll try to plan it e.g. Make room in my schedule and /or find someone to do it with. If I can’t do either, … I am not doing it! And delete it : )
I like your attitude. I do have lists – I use spiral bound notebooks for jotting down ideas and for my writing when I don’t want to be at the computer…I now label the books by the year and it’s fun to go back thru old ones and see if and what I actually did get done and then decide about mentally ditching the undone or moving it forward since it may now “fit” or blend in with newer ideas. Your comment got me going on how to work with this brain of mine – so again – thank you.
Lynn
I don’t set New Year’s Resolutions either – personal circumstances can change so quickly that things change overnight sometimes. Start the year with a few goals and work towards them
Thank you – yes our lives change and it may then be silly to stick to a resolution that is set in stone –
Happy New Year !
Resolutions and me don’t seem to get along.
I prefer to set goals / targets (and then mentally check them off as I go along)
This year is no different .. although I did find some affirmations that are easy to achieve 😉 check them out hehe
Good points – thanks for adding them. I do make some lists – like for shopping 🙂
I don’t do resolutions either – I don’t like the pressure it creates. I do set goals though – this seems to suit me better.
Ahh – yes the pressure – good point and thank you for saying it!