Over the years, I have made many New Year’s resolutions and like so many other folks, I have not kept them.

They have included, being more fit, I do pretty well keeping that one; learning Spanish, not so good with this one; being kinder, which is too vague with no way to quantify it. I mean, who is my judge, someone who is mad at me? At one time, making more money was on my list. It was easy to quantify, but I have learned that the true measure of wealth is not how much money you make, but how much you keep. In all, I have not done well with resolutions so I have changed my approach.

I have evolved my resolutions into five year, one year, and what-can-I-be-doing-now plans. They have worked. I have gotten a lot accomplished. I have done this to follow the old admonition saying, “no one plans to fail; they fail to plan.” It is true. Without goals, without something to reach for, I never reach at all. This has worked very well for me and so into this New Year I will refine my five, one, and now plans to suit where I am today.

The reason this planning scheme has worked is that I hold myself accountable every month. The first Sunday of the month is my time to take out the written plans and grade myself. This can be depressing or uplifting, depending on my progress, or lack of it, but in the end, always satisfying. I am advancing, improving, growing and learning. I am holding myself accountable.

I am changing it this year. The plans are not enough. I need to make a single resolution. This year I resolve to do it better. That is all, the only one, to do it better. The “it” is whatever is written in my plan, those are my goals and I will do them better, pursue them harder, keep track more diligently, work harder, and achieve, maybe not more, but better.

I am taking it further than that. I resolve to do better in all aspects of my life even those I do not write in some plan. I resolve to keep pressing forward, to keep pushing, to not slack off, (This from the greatest time waster that ever lived) to not be satisfied with where and what I am, but to push myself ever forward. If, or when, I achieve one of my written goals with ease, or speed, or through fortune, I resolve to continue pressing forward, to get even better, and to push it beyond what I desired or planned. I know there is more in me. I need to push until it comes out.

Isn’t that what resolutions are, a recognition of a shortcoming, and a desire to improve? Then why not push yourself in all areas of your life? Work at it all. I do not expect to achieve perfection, but I do expect to achieve improvement as I work toward perfection. I will take one step at a time, then another, and another and will arrive at a goal. I will then push beyond the goal. If I can be that good, why not be better? There is no limit as far as I can determine as to how good at something any of us can be.  

This past year has been a struggle for us, but aren’t they all? Will the next year be better than the past? Maybe it will, but certainly not if I do not plan for it to be. I am excited about 2014, but more excited about 2015. When it comes around, I will be shining brighter because I am going to press forward, be more than I am, on my way to being all I can. Care to join me?

David Wilson Atwood is a local writer whose human-interest columns offer a unique perspective. He may be contacted at: www.starchasers.us.