New Year's Resolutions

Photo from here.

Do you think of New Year's resolutions as early as now?

I haven't thought of it... in fact, I don't do resolutions.  I don't think resolutions to be better should be ritually done every New Year because we can start changing ourselves for the better any day even without an occasion.  

I remember when I was in elementary up until high school, during the last day of school before Christmas vacation, my teachers would give us an assignment (yes, they are so cruel).  On the first day of classes during the new year, we will have to submit our New Year's resolutions.  If I have known that year after year I will have to do the assignment, I should have kept the first one that I made and just copy it year after year.  It is hard to do a resolution.  It is just like having a debate to yourself that you should be better in this area of your life and it is hard to negate oneself.  Listing the whats becomes even harder when your inner self asks the whys and the hows.

Having a New Year's resolution is like battling and testing yourself up to what degree can you keep up with the list.

A retreat master once told, do not make a list because it is a fad or a ritual.  Do not impose laws upon yourself when you know you will not able to follow.  It is better to have just one resolution than to have a dozen that you possibly can't do.  In doing a resolution, reflect on the days that passed and measure your inner will to be better on your identified weak point of your life.  To decide to change is an exercise of humility  and self acceptance.  If you have humbled yourself and accepted you flaws, be ready to commit yourself to change.