Just say no to resolutions

The year 2000 has melted away and 2001 is upon us. I returned to my residence hall Sunday, and I was greeted by a large sign asking, “What is your New Year’s Resolution?”

I didn’t know this was going to be asked of me. If this was a test, I certainly didn’t have an answer.

New Year’s resolutions seem to have faded into the past, and fewer people have answers to the question when asked. I haven’t made a resolution in awhile. I have found that stating one goal limits me, and then I forget what I promised myself.

Wondering what others at TCU were thinking on this matter, I set off to interview the women of my hall. I have discovered that many agree with me.

Most of those I asked said they quit making resolutions out of frustration because they were never able to lose the weight or make the grades they had wanted. I don’t believe that as a community we are weakened by a lack of New Year’s resolutions. Optimism is an important quality for the community, and it’s more valuable still when tempered with the right amount of reality.

We cannot always meet lofty goals, and we shouldn’t feel so disappointed if we get a B or lose three pounds instead of reaching the A or losing the five pounds that we resolved to.

Instead we should look at our lives from the view of progress. Any progress or improvement in ourselves and our lives is to be valued. That is why I believe what my friend said about resolutions: “I set future goals instead of resolutions. Instead of focusing only on the year ahead, I focus on goals that build on my whole future.”

As we begin this new year together, I hope this is what we all do: Build on our futures. We are, after all, in the perfect place and time in our lives to do this.

Miranda Nesler is a freshman English major from Houston.
She can be reached at (m.g.nesler@student.tcu.edu)

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