New Year's Resolutions: Better late then never. No, really!

Now that every other blogger has moved on from the topic of holidays, it is probably time I formally acknowledge the new year and that stupid, worn out "R" word: resolutions.

In a country where delayed gratification does not exist and discipline is neither a word spoken nor a thing used, it makes sense that the words "New Years' resolutions" are not taken seriously, and lose our interest about as fast as the oldest and dumbest knock-knock joke. We've all done it: proclaimed with excitement "this year I'm going to do such and suchhh!!" ... but by the end of the month, "such and such" has been a thing of the past for 26 days.

"Maybe next year."

Yeah I think we all just dislike the "R" word. But to that word's credit, a resolution in itself is not a bad idea. Rather, our choice of timing plays a large role in its reputation lacking of credibility.

A couple of days before the new year I had asked my dear sibling (I will not mention which one... ok, the only one... but last I checked he doesn't read this anyway) to go on a run with me. He adamantly refused, with the justification that it was his "new year's resolution... I have to wait till the 1st!", or something rather comical and close to those lines. Obviously it was an excuse; he just didn't want to go. I contemplated reminding him that I once gained over 30lbs with that mentality, but figured it'd do no good and resigned to taking my run solo.

However that is a very dangerous mentality. I personally think that establishing resolutions on the first day of the year is the best way to ensure defeat of determination. You know what I'm talking about. The enthusiasm lasts till about the third, and the second you slip up -- whenever that may be -- well, now it's "all ruined". You dirtied the slate. Of course it's purely psychological -- subconscious, even -- and the funniest part is the fact that January 1st is just another day, isn't it?

And so you see, it's no tragedy or coincidence that I am doing this entry on a random number of days after the new year. Because as always, there's no better time than the present. Whatever random day of a random month the present happens to be.

Without further adieu, my resolutions for 2011.

- Whenever I'm checking out at a grocery store I want to make it a habit to look and see if the person behind me has a considerably less number of items and if so offer them to go ahead. People have done this for me on several occasions, however it was just the other day that I was next in line with my usual half-cart full of groceries when the cashier asked if I would let the elderly gentleman with two items go ahead of me. I felt like smacking myself in the forehead. Why didn't I think of that?

- I used to frown upon the motto of "no regrets"; to me it implied irresponsibility, and was often promoted by the same people with a "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" type of attitude. But I would like to adopt my own rendition of the term. I'm quite the perfectionist, and with this trait comes a memory of everything I've ever done wrong. There's absolutely nothing I can do about those things. You'd laugh at them, that's how silly and petty most of them are. Anyway I'm so over them. No regrets!

- I'd also like to use more cash. Research shows that the use of cash reduces impulse spending. Not that I do that of course! :)

- I want to give those stupid pan-handlers the time of day. Sure more than 95% of them are scam artists, but what about the one dude that's actually hard up? I still won't give them money, but since they claim to always be out of gas I might carry a gas can in my trunk, so that if they're legit I can lend them a hand.

-Oh, and if I lost ten pounds it wouldn't be the end of the world! (Come on, what would a list of resolutions be without it?)