Should you make New Year’s Resolutions or New Year’s Commitments?
Time To Choose
2008 is less than two weeks away. Pretty soon everyone will be saying or writing down things they are going to change for the new year. Almost everyone will make resolutions. Very few will make COMMITMENTS and that has got me thinking about what the difference is between the two and if one is better than the other. So, I looked up the definition of each in my trusty dictionary and what I found was interesting.
The Difference
Both resolutions and commitments imply making a change or doing something. But a commitment adds a component that I think is key. Commitment requires an emotional investment (being obligated or emotionally impelled), resolutions do not. The way I see it, a commitment is much more serious. It’s harder to break a commitment because of the emotional component. As a result, before you make a commitment you want to make sure you can follow through.
Increase Your Odds
Many people who make resolutions end up breaking them a short time later. Could it be that the lack of “commitment” in the resolution is the cause? I think it is. Sure, people can say they are committed to doing something and just give up, but if they are serious about it a commitment should increase the odds of success. Maybe its just semantics but I think that if you are really serious about accomplishing something, making a commitment is better than a resolution.
So, as you think about what you want to change for 2008, consider making a commitment instead of just a resolution. You might just increase your success as a result of investing a little emotional energy in the process.