A Twist on Resolutions

Now that we don’t have to be perfect, we can be good

This is the time of year when our natural urge for renewal takes the form of resolutions. New Year's resolutions so often backfire, though. As we know, it’s hard to stick to big changes. If we issue grand pronouncements like, "I'm always going to read rather than streaming shows from now on,” or "I'm not going to drink alcohol anymore,” we can set ourselves up for failure.

Here's an alternate strategy that’s worked for me. Instead of making a weighty resolution, I try to make a better small choice at any given moment. I'm going to the library. Should I drive or walk? Walk. Should I read a novel or swipe at social media for an hour? Read. Home fries or salad? Salad.

We can find empowerment in making good choices, which accumulate into bigger changes. And if I do make one little bad choice, so what? It's easy to recover from it with a better choice next time. I’ve not blown a huge resolution; I’m not demoralized by crushing failure.

This also gives me flexibility, because sometimes the supposed vice is the better choice. If someone has an especially fine bottle of wine to share, a second or third glass is absolutely the right way to go, maybe even during Dry January.

As John Steinbeck wrote, “And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.”

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The paywall is down on last year’s Dry January post. It was a popular one.

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I’ll be in Los Angeles for a housesitting stint soon. Please look for some LA music and culture coverage here. At the end of the month, I’ll head to Puerto Rico for a writing retreat with some Bennington friends. My special project for this residency is beginning to take shape.

Happy New Year to each and every one of you!