@Annie I've given up on resolutions. In stead of promising myself to do something, I just do it.
There's nothing special about January 1. I can change my life at any date of the year.
Now contracts are something else. There the objective is to set goals and describe in specifics how to reach those goals. So, concrete stuff, nothing etherial and fluffy like resolutions, which don't turn out that resolute, after all, 'cause life interferes.
Contracts (even with yourself) are private, not to be shared, but that's okay. There's no need to tell others what you're going to do, since you're already doing it, the work is being done as I write this, dates are being pencilled in, (loose) deadlines established.
Not really heroic and sharable, but then, this isn't Facebook or Instagram, where you share an imaginary picture of the perfect-you, flawless and determined, quite the opposite of real human beings.
Despite all that, good luck with your resolution. I hope you'll get there most of the way. Only buying stuff you actually need, not because it's new and shiney, presented in a keynote address by Apple. Meeting new people on travels with the money you save from not caving in to the peer presssure of consumerism, that is a lofty goal to have.
@renevanbelzen Great points, and I agree there's nothing special about 01/01.
I do like using the turning of the year as a milestone, to pause and reflect and think about what I want to build of my life as I move forward. It's a ritual I enjoy and find helpful.
For the last several years, I've adopted a phrase or theme, I guess, as my resolution. And every year, I think I have an idea of what it means, of how I want to carry that resolve forward... So far, every year, I've been wildly surprised by what it actually looks like when I let that little phrase sink in and guide more of my decisions.
I love how you describe contracts. That's the perfect term. I've found keeping my goals private is usually better, with a few exceptions.
