The Bottom Line- New Year’s Resolutions

December 28, 2011 | by Joseph Brownell

It’s that time of year again. New Year’s Resolutions. Sometimes I wonder why even bother because they’re always the same and always broken by February 1^st, but this year I’ve pinpointed something I really need to work on.

I’ve never been patient and this deficiency pervades all aspects of my life. I get upset when I have to tell my boyfriend something I’ve sworn I’ve told him at least once a day for the past week. Sometimes instead of trying to understand someone’s confusion, I’ll jump to the conclusion that they’re just inanely stupid and lose my patience with them, but most of all I lose interest in projects when I don’t see immediate results.

Maybe it’s partly my generation because we tend to seek immediate gratification rather than delay it for a greater reward, but whenever I start something if I don’t see any progress or results within the first couple weeks I give up.

As I get older I wonder where those projects would be today if I hadn’t given up on them. Maybe exactly where they are now, in the graveyard of my consciousness but maybe not. That screenplay idea could be on CMT right now. That short story could’ve won the contest. But one thing is for sure – giving up on them didn’t do any good.

So this year as I sit down to work on my list of resolutions, I’m going to ignore the usual suspects. I’ve worked on the whole give up smoking thing for years (even if it is only when I drink), and I’ve tried the whole give up unhealthy foods but I’ve never tried to give up giving up. So this year when I feel discouraged I’m going to pull out this article and remind myself that if I do I’ll just be writing this same sad piece next year.