Resolving to Make Better Resolutions

This is the fifth day of the New Year, which means that 53% of the American population has broken at least one New Year's resolution already. I, for example, just broke my resolution to stop making up fake statistics. I think many people struggle with maintaining New Year's resolutions, not necessarily because they are weak or lack commitment, but because they set themselves up for failure. The types of resolutions that people give themselves are often too drastic, unrealistic, or ambiguous. Instead of giving a lecture about how goals should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely... Wow, I guess I did learn something in health class), I'd rather just give some brief examples of different types of resolutions.

Bad Resolutions:
(resolutions that are unrealistic and easily broken)
- Eat healthy (too vague)
- Exercise everyday (too impractical)
- Lose weight (too vague)
- Read 50 books (I only made it to 23...)
- Cure cancer (start with the common cold)
- Become president (aim lower, like vice president)
- Train squirrels to fight crime (because obviously this would take more than a year)

Good Resolutions:
(resolutions that are realistic, doable, and may improve your life)
- Workout 3-5 times a week (if you're into that kind of thing)
- Eat a fruit or vegetable with every meal (I hear those are good for you)
- Drink less soda (try only having one per week)
- Write a letter to a friend once a month (everybody likes getting letters!)
- Read a new book (hopefully more than one, but start with one)
- Tell someone that you love them (preferably not a complete stranger)

Guaranteed Resolutions:
(resolutions that have a ridiculously high success rate)
- Walk a mile over the course of the whole year
- Do not rob a bank
- Do not sleep while performing brain surgery
- Breathe
- See a bird
- Say the word "kerfuffle" (wasn't that fun?)
- Do not tackle a rhinoceros

On an unrelated note, this is what Wisconsin winter looks like.

Before lots of snow

After lots of snow

Needless to say, we had a white Christmas.