Resolutions

Happy new year! We are two weeks in, which means most of us have abandoned our resolutions. Statistically speaking that's a safe statement. Even if we are outliers, there is something to be learned from an article I read recently.

The argument is that resolutions fall by the wayside not because we are overshooting, but we are using the wrong motivation. Northeastern professor David DeSteno suggests that resolutions, and goals in general, are doomed unless we can attach them to real emotions and relationships. Attaching a worthwhile goal or resolution to how it makes you feel or the effect it has on others is a profound and powerful motivator.

Being more generous in my listening – particularly with my children – is a worthy resolution. One I would strive to keep on face value alone. However, I would argue I am far more likely keep it if I remember how  it feels to come out the other side of a barrage of "whys" with a new appreciation for the remarkable perspective of a six-year-old.

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