We’ve reached the last days of work before many of us take a break and enjoy the holidays. It’s a time for gratitude for what has been and plans for what lies ahead . Part of this is New Year’s Resolutions. I’m a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions. I’m also a bit saddened by the cynicism that surrounds them and by the seemingly wise observations that pop up a few days after New Years that remind us how quickly many have already given up on them .

Here’s why I like them: on no other day in the year is there such a strong yearning across all parts of humanity. It’s a yearning where each one of us wants to be better than we are today. It’s a yearning that says there is more in life, that we can be more in life and that we still want to grow.

Don’t give up on your resolutions, and don’t think that they don’t matter. They matter not just because you may or may not accomplish them. They matter because you are saying that you want to be more, be different or be something that you are currently not. You want to grow and learn. That’s the really cool part of it.

In a previous article (First, Throw Something Out)I shared one of the key reasons why resolutions often don’t work out. Here’s a short recap: we frequently add something to our lives with resolutions. We want to do more of something or add something to our activities (e.g. exercise, time with family, healthy food, spiritual activities, etc.). Unfortunately, this is like adding more water to glass that’s already full.

Take the Next Step

Instead of picking a resolution that adds something into your life or your calendar, chose a resolution that takes something out of your life. Remove something, throw something out, let go of something. Don’t chose something that you just put it on hold and plan to bring back into your life again later. Let it go.

For me, it’s going to be giving up one of my (time-wasting and distracting) morning rituals: checking online news sites pretty much first thing in the morning.