The author vows not to make any New Year’s Resolutions, because he has learned that it’s easier to meet all his objectives without that stupid list.
Making New Year’s resolutions used to be a compulsive activity for me. I was always so desperate for something better that I fiendishly and feverishly made lists of what I would do in the coming year:
–Stop binge eating
–Stop worrying about what other people think of me
–Stop trying to please everyone
–Stop letting my mind spin with worry
–Face down my fears
I used to go crazy about all that stuff, all to no avail.
By the end of the first week of a new year, these resolutions were cast aside. The eating resolution went first, then the bit about worrying about what others think.
Thing is, I eventually tackled everything on the list. But it was a much longer process than the instant-reset fixes we have a habit of pursuing at the start of every new year.
As far as I’m concerned, there is no reset button. The journey begins when you’re born and ends when you die. Case closed.
In that spirit, I promise to KEEP AT the following:
–I will keep drinking coffee and savoring the occasional cigar. I put down the food and have sworn off alcohol. We all have a collection of addictions, and my approach is to hold firm against those that cause me the most dysfunction. Coffee suits me just fine, and the cigars are infrequent.
–I will keep listening to metal music, because it keeps me sane.
–I will keep enjoying a good humorous tale, especially the off-colored variety.
— I will keep up and increase the devotion to my wife and children. In doing so, I will keep up and increase my devotion to my Faith.
— I will keep feeding my appetite for history and learning from the hardships of those who came before me.
–I will write a TON of articles in the world of cybersecurity because it’s what I do and what I love.
–I will keep trying to be a better friend and colleague, regardless of the date on a calendar.
–I will keep working the 12 Steps, because it is essential to my well-being.
— And I will keep writing this blog, because it’s a mission whose time has come.