How I Set My New Year's Resolutions

Key Concepts

• New Year's Resolutions: Personal goals set at the beginning of a new year.
• Self-Reflection: The process of examining one's own thoughts, feelings, and actions.
• Accountability: Taking responsibility for one's actions and commitments.
• Goal Setting: The process of defining desired outcomes and creating a plan to achieve them.

The Annual Family Resolution Ritual

The speaker describes a long-standing New Year’s Eve tradition within their family: a collective setting of New Year’s resolutions. This isn’t a solitary activity, but a shared experience where all family members participate. Each individual articulates their resolution for the coming year, and these are formally written down.

The core of the tradition isn’t simply making resolutions, but rather reviewing them. The following year, on New Year’s Eve, the family reconvenes to assess each member’s progress against their previously stated goals. This assessment isn’t presented as a harsh judgment, but as a reflective exercise.

Performance and Reflection on Resolutions

The speaker notes a consistent observation: the family consistently underperforms relative to their initial expectations. They state, “we don’t do nearly as good as we hope that we would do.” This observation isn’t framed negatively, but as a catalyst for further introspection. The act of reviewing successes and failures, and analyzing why resolutions were or weren’t met, is considered a valuable part of the process.

The speaker emphasizes the benefit of “pausing and reflecting” on aspirations and then “grading of ourselves and thinking about that and reflecting.” This suggests a focus on the process of self-assessment as being as important, if not more so, than the achievement of the resolutions themselves.

The Tradition as a "Fun Little Game"

Despite the potential for disappointment, the speaker characterizes the tradition as “a fun little game.” This framing highlights the lighthearted and non-punitive nature of the activity. The ritual serves not only as a mechanism for goal setting and accountability, but also as a bonding experience for the family.

Synthesis

The primary takeaway is the value of a structured approach to New Year’s resolutions, one that prioritizes not just the setting of goals, but also the subsequent reflection on performance. The speaker advocates for a system of accountability and self-assessment, framed within a supportive and enjoyable family tradition. The consistent underperformance against initial goals is presented not as a failure of the process, but as an opportunity for learning and growth.