As a naive younger man, I have always been disappointed by how many year resolutions have missed in the past. Mostly because they are a failure by design: the wishful self is delighted to dictate the new agenda of change, where all the lazyness, tiredness, and unforeseen accidents will magically disappear to leave room to a bright, joyful and productive future. This will never happen.
What really works is to plan nothing
If you aim to write more, just find the time and do it. Don’t plan, do it. Todo lists were invented to sit and watch us with disapproval, they always generate a sensation of unfulfillment, we are always inadequate and behind the goal. And if we’re still struggling, we probably have chosen the wrong desire. Better admit the failure, turn it down, than blindly follow somebody else’s dream.
Don’t expect anything, be grateful, instead
Be grateful when an achievement is met, be grateful for your life, for your family. Focus on what you already have, not on what you don’t. What is part of your existence right now, is the ground for happiness, the solid foundation to build a blissful future. When something get lost, like an habit, don’t despair, be thankful to have had that thing in your life, if it’s the case, it will came back.
Strive for long term happiness
I admit that daily routine can be overwhelming, sometimes depressing. Shit happens, and it will forever. Life is like that, and for sure, we easily forget moments, but what we keep are memories. Be sure to create them. That’s why I love photography, it’s the perfect incentive to create memories. Be also sure that your memories will be sunny, it’s what really matters when look back in the past and answer to the ultimate question: was my life happy?