From the Publisher/Karen G. York
I’ve been very busy asking my friends about their New Year’s resolutions, but was surprised to discover that most of them hadn’t made any, nor did they intend to.
If they answered me at all, their responses sounded very much like beauty pageant winners, expressing a desire for world peace or an end to global hunger. Not unworthy goals, but not resolutions either. I clarified my request, explaining that what I was asking for was their personal growth plan for the coming year, IF they had one. Still, I was met with blank stares or outright resistance. The most positive response came from a friend who expressed her opinion that New Year’s was simply the beginning of the calendar year, adding that there is never a wrong time to memorialize one’s good intentions. Another said that she was very uncomfortable creating expectations that might lead to disappointment. And another merely wisecracked that she already dealt with her personal growth in the 60s.
What a missed opportunity. I’ve been writing New Year’s resolutions since I was a little girl. And while years later I would learn the benefit of applying a more systematic approach to planning, using concepts such as objectives, goals, strategies and tactics, this annual exercise of my youth had already taught me that if I took the time to think about where I was going and how I might get there, I increased immeasurably the possibility that I would arrive at my intended destination. Even accounting for the unplanned, arbitrary and accidental, it has always served me well, demanding less and less introspection as the demands of marriage, parenting and career offered ever-increasing opportunities for self-improvement.
However, just recently I have found that developing my New Year’s resolution list is getting much harder. While there are multiple recurring resolutions that may never be resolved, lose weight, exercise regularly, better budgeting, etc., so many of the dreams and expectations (that through nature or nurture) had provided direction and energy have already been dealt with. And, absent the grandchildren my sons have yet to provide, the roles modeled by my mother and grandmother offer few clues. It seems that women of my generation have been given the burden and the blessing of creating a future for themselves that never was. Put simply, I am not sure what to do next or what resolutions will be required.
There has never been a time in my life without change, challenge and opportunity. And this year will be no exception. And, while my 2004 New Years resolutions will include the usual unfinished business of “perfecting” my character and my health, I acknowledge that I am adrift in the un-chartered waters of my age and stage. However, I take heart in the fact that I am not without tools or experience (a blessing of age). I know that if I take the time to think about where I want to go and how I might get there, I will increase the possibility that I will get there. Forced to take a disciplined approach to life planning once again, I will be revisiting those old objectives, goals, strategies and tactics, hoping that this approach will provide the creative sparks to light my way. I will probably not be finished by Jan. 1, but as my girlfriend said, there is never a wrong time to memorialize one’s good intentions.