Another year of resolutions: Don’t kid yourself
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The holiday season is upon us. People seem to be kinder and more compassionate.
If you don’t believe me, take a walk down Fifth Avenue in New York City.
As we approach the end of 2022, it’s time to make the infamous New Year’s resolutions. As a reminder, a New Year’s resolution is a promise to yourself — only to yourself — that you will change something in the coming year.
Easier said than done.
I don’t know about you, but I stopped making New Year’s resolutions long ago. I made just about all the popular ones. However, they lasted only for short periods.
I try to live life to the fullest every day and not take for granted events such as a sunrise over the ocean horizon, an unbelievable summer starry night or even the backyard filled with lightning bugs.
Having said that, I’ve made many resolutions that you’ve probably attempted, as well: meet new people, choose a hobby, read more books, manage money better/spend less money. My wife never liked the last resolution.
Resolutions for hem/oncs
Some resolutions seem to me to be part of being a good leader and, in the field in which we work, I consider them mandatory. Examples are embracing accountability, building trust, communicating better and frequently recognizing the contributions of your team.
As I look back on why I couldn’t maintain my resolutions, it was probably a lack of time. Perhaps I didn’t make the time or just wasn’t motivated. Interestingly, I don’t have a problem finding motivation to watch college basketball and football.
Ivan Dimitrijevic, CEO and founder of the digital marketing company MyCity Web, has years of experience in team management. He has written about New Year’s resolutions and how to achieve each of them.
One is to stop procrastinating. This is one of the biggest barriers to reaching your goal. Once you start procrastinating, it creates a domino effect that is difficult to reverse. I am very sensitive to this.
James Clear, author of the New York Times bestseller Atomic Habits, has written about the 2-minute rule to stop procrastinating. His book has sold more than 9 million copies worldwide and been translated into more than 50 languages. Hence, there must be something to this.
Forward momentum
We would all agree that every goal cannot be accomplished in less than 2 minutes. However, as Clear stated, every goal can be started in 2 minutes or less, and that’s the purpose of the 2-minute rule. Clear asserts that it works for any goal because of one simple reason: the physics of real life. As we all know, Sir Isaac Newton discovered that an object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion.
It makes sense.
Once you start doing something, it’s easier to continue doing it. This centers around the idea that all sorts of good things happen once you get started. For example, a resolution to read more books can start with reading one page before bed each night.
Want to exercise by running a mile? Start by tying your running shoes.
To quote the late stand-up comedian, actor, author and social critic George Carlin, “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways — chardonnay in one hand, chocolate in the other, body thoroughly used up — totally worn out and screaming WOO-HOO, what a ride!”
I agree about the chocolate but would replace the chardonnay with a cabernet.
Stay safe.
References:
- Clear J. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. Penguin/Random House. 2012.
- Dimitrijevic I. 50 New Year’s resolution ideas and how to achieve each of them. Available at: www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/50-new-years-resolution-ideas-and-how-achieve-each-them.html. Accessed Nov. 16, 2022.
For more information:
Nicholas J. Petrelli, MD, FACS, is Bank of America endowed medical director of ChristianaCare’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute and associate director of translational research at Wistar Cancer Institute. He also serves as Associate Editor of Surgical Oncology for HemOnc Today. He can be reached at npetrelli@christianacare.org.
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Clear J. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. Penguin/Random House. 2012.
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