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High Resolution

Once again, its the beginning of a new year. At least half of you reading this article will have begun the year, as you've done so often before, by setting at least one New Year's resolution, probably even more than one. Since we're approximately a month into the year, it is also safe to assume that many of those resolutions have already been broken, or have at least sustained significant damage. In fact, statistics show that 25% of all resolutions don't make it past the first week, while after a month, nearly 40% of resolutions have failed completely. Even that smug group standing off to the side there – you know who you are – the ones that claim not to make New Year's resolutions at all. Well, your resolution failure is possibly the most spectacular of all, since what you've actually done is to make the shortest-lived resolution of all. You have, in fact,  merely made a resolution not to make a resolution, which of course immediately breaks your resolution not to make a resolution. (hope you can resolve that). Seriously, though, given this almost universal, annual pattern of resolution and failure, why do we still do it  Well, before I answer that question, I'd like to share with you, some of my New Year's resolution experience over the past few years. While I'm sure you will agree that I cannot attempt to claim perfection,  there really cannot be any doubt about my consistency. It is my hope that you'll find this encouraging, or at least amusing.

RESOLUTION #1:
2006: I will get my weight down below 80kg.
2007: I will watch my calorie intake until I get below 90kg.
2008: I will follow my new diet religiously until I get below 110kg.
2009: I will try to develop a realistic & positive attitude about my weight.
2010: I will work out 5 days a week.
2011: I will work out 3 days a week.
2012: I will try to drive past a gym at least once a week.

RESOLUTION #2:
2006: I will not spend my money frivolously.
2007: I will pay off my bank loan promptly.
2008: I will pay off all my bank loans and credit cards promptly.
2009: I will begin making a concerted effort to be out of debt by the end of this year.
2010: I will not incur any new debt and reduce my current debts by 50% by 2011.
2011: I will try to pay off the interest on my debts by 2012.
2012: I will try to be out of the country by February.

RESOLUTION #3:
2009: I will try to be a better husband to Marge.
2010: I will not leave Marge.
2011: I will try for a reconciliation with Marge.
2012: I will try to be a better husband to Wanda.

It is my sincere hope that these resolutions, which are either very funny or very sad, depending on your viewpoint, don't hit too close to the mark for any of you.
So, why do we do it? Why do we so consistently make New Year's resolutions in the face of our equally consistent, life-long, experiential knowledge of resolution failure? Some might say that its blind optimism, some might vote for base stupidity, but I think I'd have to side with those that put in a good word for that most wonderful of human traits, “hope”.

All this having been said, is there a way to constructively use our existing predisposition for setting resolutions in order to effectively change and grow? Is it possible to make resolutions that actually work?

One of my favourite methods for solving a problem, particularly when its connected to my subjective understanding (which is nearly always), is to go and look up the dictionary definition of key words involved in the problem. This usually, not only gives me a clearer image of what I'm trying to solve, but also helps to jump-start my thinking into more creative avenues.

In this case, there is really only one word that needs to be investigated – resolution. Here, according to Dictionary.com, is the definition of the word resolution.res·o·lu·tion (noun) [rez-uh-loo-shuhn] 1. a formal expression of opinion or intention made, usually after voting, by a formal organization, a legislature, club, or other group. Compare concurrent resolution,  joint resolution. 2. a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something. 3. the act of resolving or determining upon an action, or course of action, method, procedure, etc. 4. the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose. 5. the act or process of resolving or separating into constituent or elementary parts. 6. the resulting state. 7. a solution, accommodation, or settling of a problem, controversy, etc. 8. Optics - the act, process, or capability of distinguishing between two separate but adjacent objects or sources of light or between two nearly equal wavelengths. Compare resolving power. 9. Music - a) the progression of a voice part or of the harmony as a whole from a dissonance to a consonance. b) the tone or chord to which a dissonance is resolved. c) reduction to a simpler form; conversion. 10. Medicine/Medical – the reduction or disappearance of a swelling or inflammation without suppuration. 11. The degree of sharpness of a computer-generated image as measured by the number of dots per linear inch in a hard-copy printout, or the number of pixels across and down on a display screen. The very first thing that I'm sure you'll have noticed, is that the word 'resolution' does not only have a single meaning. What's more, these multiple meanings range across usages as diverse as politics, philosophy, psychology, separation and/or unification, problem solving, optics, music, medicine, and computer graphics. Isn't English a wonderful language? And we wonder why people battle to learn it. Even we, who speak English as our first language, very often only assume that we know the meaning of a word due to common usage rather than actually finding out its complete meaning, or meanings.

Could it be that part of the reason we set ourselves up to fail on an annual basis is related to the fact that we don't have a sufficiently clear understanding of what a resolution should be? Of course, in this instance, the fact that I've asked the question, means that not only am I going to answer it, but that I will most definitely answer it in the affirmative. Yes, I believe that much of our resolution failure is the result of incorrectly, or insufficiently defining, or understanding the nature of resolutions.

If you look back on the dictionary definition shown above, you'll notice that the first two definitions for 'resolution', are firmly connected to most people's understanding of the New Year's type of resolution. Although the first definition speaks of a decision made by a group, rather than an individual, both really only focus on the decision itself. How many times have we heard that government, or parliament, has “adopted a resolution”, only to see it wither and die in a swamp of sub-committee debate, indecisiveness, and political jockeying. While both these definitions mention decisiveness, resolve, and even determination, they do not go beyond the act of making a single decision to either do, or not do something. Neither of these definitions makes any mention of how this is to be accomplished. In other words, these first two definitions describe resolutions that are most likely to be just like my earlier listing of humorous annual record of New Year's resolutions. Unfortunately, they also look a lot like many of our “real” New Year's resolutions. In other words, these definitions only deal with the very first step of making a successful resolution, identifying the problem, and deciding to do something about it.

A saying that has, with reason, become quite popular with motivational speakers & writers, is the following. “If you aim at nothing, you are sure to hit it.”. However, it is just as true to say that no matter how good your aim, your chances of success are hugely, if not completely reduced unless you also have a plan. For example, I can stand before an archery target with the very clear goal of embedding an arrow in the bullseye, but completely fail to do so due to the lack of a simple plan. Do I have all the appropriate archery equipment? Have I taken the time and effort to acquire the skills to effectively use my archery equipment? Is my goal of hitting the bullseye realistic? Have I specified realistic parameters in which to achieve my bullseye? Have I allowed for external influences, such as wind? Have I set myself a reasonable time-limit in which to achieve my purpose?

In a situation such as I've outlined above, I'm sure that none of us would realistically expect to succeed without all of the planning and preparation that I've mentioned. On the other hand, we continue, to make New Year's resolutions that, for the most part, are merely statements of purpose that contain little or no real substance in terms of planning, preparation, or perseverance.

With this in mind, let's return to our list of dictionary definitions and look at definitions 3, 4, 5 and 7 in more detail.

First, let's look at definition 4, which may at first glance may seem identical to the first two definitions, but which has a very important difference. While definitions 1 and 2 speak of the intent to do something, a very transient state of mind, definition 4 speaks of firmness of purpose; a more permanent state and quality of mind. While being resolute and firm of purpose definitely has to include that initial moment of decision, it also, unlike the classic New Year's resolution, must include the ongoing decision to continue with a course of action once begun. I suppose one could speak of it as a decision in the continuous tense.
i.e. I have decided, I am deciding, and I will continue to decide. In other words, the next thing that is necessary for a successful resolution, whether made in the New Year or not, is continuity of decision. My decision to change must last beyond the first flush of enthusiasm, and become a conscious, self-disciplined, ongoing decision.

In our quest for the successful New Year's resolution, definitions 3 & 5 really need to be considered together, as I believe they are two aspects of the next step in the goal setting process.

Definition 3 speaks not only of deciding to do something, but also of the course of action, and the methods and procedures that will be required to successfully implement that decision. I don't think that any one of us would decide to go on holiday to a place we've never been without doing at least the basic planning that is vital to reaching our holiday destination. Can we drive there in our car, or must we fly? Where is our destination exactly, and what route will we drive to get there? How far away is our destination? Can we get there in one day, or must we make arrangements for accommodation on the way? What is the cost of reaching and returning from our destination? Can we easily access further funds while there if need be? Has the car been serviced? Have we arranged someone to look after the dog?  In making the decision to go on holiday, these are just a few of the planning aspects that we almost automatically deal with in order to successfully achieve our purpose. Whether we're talking about resolutions or holidays, it is impossible to get from where we are to where we want to be without a proper course of action.

Those of you that have just had a strong cup of coffee, may have already spotted the next step in this course of action, which relates directly to definition 5. Definition 5 talks about resolution as the process of breaking something down into its constituent or elementary parts. Look back to our holiday example in the previous paragraph and you'll notice that our course of action needed to be more than just a slightly longer, more detailed statement of our decision to go on holiday to Twee-buffels-met-een-skoot-doodgeskiet-fontein. To enable us to achieve our goal of an enjoyable holiday, it was necessary to separate and isolate each and every part of the necessary process. We had to divide the process into tasks regarding such things as vehicles, money, accommodation, and care of the home & pets we would leave behind. Furthermore, each of these areas needed to be further broken down into individual tasks. This process of goal-setting, whereby a large and possibly complicated goal is broken down into smaller, more easily manageable sections is wonderfully illustrated in the following question.
Question: “How do you eat an elephant?”
Answer: “One bite at a time.”
In other words, divide your course of action into easily manageable tasks.

{Disclaimer: The previous question, along with any further development of the metaphor, is meant only as an illustrative metaphor for solving a seemingly impossibly large problem or challenge. There is no need to start a petition against eating elephants. Thank you.}

That brings us to definition 7 that defines resolution simply as the solution to a problem. To my way of thinking, this brings us around full-circle in our quest for setting successful resolutions. We started the process due to something that we perceived as problematic, and that needed improvement. In order to do this, we made a resolution, or to put it another way, we set a target. In order to reach this target, we set a goal, or goals, which we further divided into easily manageable, and measurable tasks. In considering definition 7, we therefore want to ask ourselves the question, is what I'm doing solving my problem? However, once again, within this process, we need to consider the elephant. What I mean by this is the following.

If I've set myself the task of getting rid of a dead elephant by means of eating it, and have applied the “one bite at a time” method of goal and task setting, there is still one trap into which I can fall. What if, after a month three of consistently only eating dishes such as tusker stew, fried ellie & beans on toast, trunk soup, éléphant au vin, and sweet and sour jumbo, I decide to go and check the freezer, to see how much progress I've made? On opening it, I discover that its still practically full of elephant! I'm suddenly filled with disappointment, the bottom falls out of my world, hopelessness and depression move in, and I decide that I've set myself a futile and impossible task. Hard on the heels of this realisation, I give up and make a very sizeable donation to the local soup kitchen.

I defined the problem, set the goal, and divided it into manageable tasks, and finally checked to see how I was doing. Where did I go wrong? Very simply I fell into the trap of not measuring my progress based on the individual tasks that I had set myself. Instead, and this is a most common error, I looked at the whole elephant, and its bulk blotted out the very real progress that I had already made toward my goal. What I should rather have done was to measure my success in completing each individual task. That way I am fed a constant diet of success. (and in this instance, elephant) Even if I periodically fail on an individual task, my failure must be measured only in the light of that task alone, and also compared to my multiple successes in other tasks. In this way, skipping a meal, or even a whole day's worth of elephantine meals, can be seen in its true light, as merely a small delay on the way to reaching my target, rather than as a failure. To put this in a nutshell (just the idea, not the elephant), goals must not only be broken down into manageable tasks, but those tasks must also be measurable.

Now, at this point, I could quite easily draw, albeit somewhat painfully, more resolution-setting lessons from my list of dictionary definitions. However, as much as the quirky side of my creativity would enjoy telling you that successful resolutions require clear, resolved vision of your target, or that to succeed you must resolve the dissonant strains of the music of your life, I will control myself. Instead, let me summarise what I've already said about achieving successful resolutions, whether you set them at New Year, or at any other time of the year.

Firstly, identify and own the problem. Ensure that you have a clear understanding of what needs to be fixed. As Dr. Phil would say, “You can't fix the problem till you admit you have the problem.”

Secondly, apply continuity of decision-making. What is needed is not a once-off resolution, but rather conscious, self-disciplined, ongoing firmness of purpose, whereby you constantly renew your decision. In this way, you commit yourself to a course of action, rather than a once-off resolution.

Thirdly, divide your course of action into easily manageable tasks. Eat that elephant one bite at a time. Everything is more manageable when you're only looking at one bite-sized chunk at a time.

Finally, each task must be measurable. Measure your progress and success by the completion of each task. That way you ensure constant, ongoing positive input. Similarly, only measure failure within individual tasks. A small slip-up never needs to affect the success of the entire venture.To put the final flourish on the bow of successful resolution, remember that research has shown that even those that make resolutions and fail, are ten times more likely to be successful in the longer-term than those that make no resolutions at all.

(Statistics from http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/)

Author: Robin Bownes.