At the turn of the new year, we often hear endless talk of making resolutions, focusing on the definition of resolution as: a firm decision to do something. I have often questioned the idea that the cold, dark month of January is a realistic time to implement those goal-style resolutions. However, I encourage you to remember that the word resolution has more than one meaning. This year, I will make a New Year’s Resolution, but focus on another meaning of the word resolution: solving a problem or dispute.
I am sure many of us can think of a problem or issue in our own life that we would like to bring to a resolution. Here are some questions I considered as I identified my own resolution for 2018:
Personal questions:
- What worry or problem am I carrying that I need to let go of?
- Is there a problem I see in myself that I can move beyond?
- Am I avoiding an undesirable task/experience? How might I convince myself to do it?
- Am I spending my time on pursuits I find fulfilling? Am I achieving my best results possible, or just doing what it takes to get by? How can I increase my motivation?
Connections:
- Do I have a strained/problematic relationship with a colleague or family member? What might ease that strain?
- Do I feel connected to my colleagues or family? What might improve that connection?
- Do I feel connected to my neighbors? How could I foster a stronger connection with the people who live near me?
Community:
- Is there a local problem that concerns me? Can I lend a hand in solving it, either through volunteer work or supporting organizations who address the problem?
- Can I act as an advocate for community issues that concern me? There are some problems I can’t solve on my own, but could I contribute to a larger-scale solution?
Global:
- Is there a global humanitarian issue that I can work to support?
- Do I have a special skill that can help people in need around the world? Is there an organization that can connect my skills to the people who need it most? In other words-how can I help?
Resolution 2018:
After thinking through these questions, the real problem/issue I will work to solve this year is a problem of motivation! So my resolution is to take note of the situations in which I feel unmotivated, and see if I can decrease the frequency of these occurrences. Have these questions helped you identify a problem or issue to resolve this year?
