New Year's Resolutions

It's the end of the year, the end of the decade and time to look forward to whatever the 2020s bring us.  

Nearly 4000 years ago Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts.

The Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of January is named.

In the medieval era, the knights took the "peacock vow" at the end of the Christmas season each year to re-affirm their commitment to chivalry.

So here are a few thoughts about resolutions again. Resolutions so often "inspired" by Social Media.  Yes, SM.  Well, we have a few more SMs for you to ponder at this calendar crossroads.
Smoke and Mirrors, Stylists and Make Up Artists - beware the captivating images of polished perfection pervading your timelines.  Spoiler alert - THEY ARE NOT REAL, they are no more real than operation close ups in any TV hospital drama.   These beautiful images are carefully crafted and constructed, the result of hours of work in themselves and more hours in the gym and the stylist's hands than most of us spend in front of a mirror in a whole month!
SadoMasochism - not a phrase I would have expected to type into our blog and not what you would normally expect to read when you see this phrase.  This refers to the subtle, probably subconscious sadism of the "influencers" parading their idealised lives and showing us what we could all be experiencing, if only we were as beautiful as them.
The masochism of us mere mortals, with our feelings of inadequacy as we view these images, wilfully or blindly ignoring the Photoshopped Stage Management of it all. 
So our best SM advice is to Smile More - A New Year's resolution that we hope to keep.

In a 2014 report, 35% of participants who failed their New Year's Resolutions admitted they had unrealistic goals, 33% of participants didn't keep track of their progress, and 23% forgot about them; about one in 10 respondents claimed they made too many resolutions. 

So how do you go about keeping yours?  How do you stay resolute in your resolutions?

1. Work out WHY you have chosen your resolution. If there is a good reason, there is more chance of sticking to it.
2. Be positive - don't think in terms of giving things up.  Forbidden fruit is always harder to resist, just ask Eve.
3. Be realistic - don't set yourself targets that you cannot meet.  Make the terms of your resolution fluid.  "Read more books" is better than read a new book every month, then finding yourself staying up til 3 in the morning on November 30th, just to say you're on track!
4. Don't beat yourself up if you slip - if you have given up sweets (see point 2), it's not the end of the world if you accept a jelly baby!  Eating a whole bag of them at 2am raises rather more questions!
5. Remember, sometimes it's enough just to be your best self, rather than striving to be a better you

There are going to be challenges next year, of that there can be no doubt, but we will have to face them, come what may.

So in the words of the Serenity Prayer:

Please grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,And wisdom to know the difference.

.....to which I would add:

the perspicacity to see beneath the surface and not be beguiled by social media's falsehoods.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2019 ©

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk