Seeing a No Resolutions symbol on New Year’s Eve might seem…well, a little weird. I totally understand. You are probably asking isn’t New Year’s Eve the time we’re supposed to make resolutions for success and all that good stuff for the coming year? Hmm…how about a different approach?

I have a sneaky suspicion I’m not the only one who might be a bit over the whole resolution thing. We make all kinds of them, and always with the best intentions. We’ll lose weight. Exercise more. Get organized. Do this, do that, we RESOLVE….and truly, how often do these resolutions last much past January 31? If that? I don’t know about you, but I usually end up feeling…like a terrible failure.

Definitions for Resolution

Here’s some of Webster’s definitions for RESOLUTION:

• the act or process of resolving:
• the act of analyzing a complex notion into simpler ones
• the act of answering : solving
• the act of determining
• the passing of a voice part from a dissonant to a consonant tone or the progression of a chord from dissonance to consonance….

You get the tone…kind of a heavy and burdensome weight to carry for very long, don’t you think?

It’s not the concept of resolutions that I’m opposed to at all. I love the idea of starting a new year with fresh hopes and full of beautiful spirit for wonderful things. I’m just proposing a re-positioning of the resolution concept – a re-branding of the whole making resolutions, if you will.

Let’s Re-Position and Re-Brand the Concept!

Instead of making resolutions tonight, I’m planning aspirations and dreams. The word aspiration– a strong desire to achieve something high or great– sounds much more like something sustainable to carry us through 2013. Like a balloon, aspiration seems light and buoyant and joyful. Don’t we want to start and move into the year with joy? I do! If nothing else, aspiration is a much more beautiful word to say instead of resolution. (Try it – you’ll see what I mean!)

Rather than lug the burden of resolutions into 2013, I propose that we create aspirations and dreams for ourselves and those we love for the New Year. Let’s take a box, or a jar, or whatever is handy. Make little slips of paper and write your aspirations and dreams for 2013 on them. No using the words “ I will”, “I won’t”, or anything heavy. Try…

• I wish….
• I dream…
• I’ll try….
• I hope…

Fill your box or jar with your slips of aspirations and dreams. (Which you don’t, by the way, have to share with anyone unless YOU choose to do so!) In 2013, once a week, once a month, or whenever the luster and optimism of the New Year has dulled a bit, pull a slip out of your box or jar and read it. Let the spirit of hope, light and optimistic joy we feel as a New Year begins lift us up again and renew our purpose whenever the going gets a little tough in 2013.

I’m taking aspirations and dreams into 2013 and letting the weight and disappointment of resolutions disappear at the stroke of midnight tonight. Is anyone with me on this?

My dear friends, I hope all of your aspirations and dreams for you and your families bring you happiness, peace and joy, however YOU define these, in 2013. Have a safe and happy New Year’s Eve!

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