Solutions in lieu of Resolutions

I have always struggled with resolutions. Oftentimes, I(we) set out every January to do something magnificent or quit some awful vice or make a difference somewhere, somehow. I typically fail. Most often these resolutions are simply solutions to a problem we have created in our lives. I only really fail in the time frame I stifle myself into which ends up labeled as a resolution every January. I don’t necessarily fail in my goals, I just fail the plan of structured achievement. I can’t help but being driven to achievement as I am a pretty goal oriented person. This has allowed for many successes in my life and career. So a couple years ago, I chose a different approach to my resolutions and transformed them into solutions.

As I began a new career, business, craft, career, and industry all at once; I sought small, clear accomplishments that allowed me to feel successful. Being a natural problem solver, I dug for the reasons why I wasn’t successful and what I could do about it. When I did not receive traffic on the internet, I found webinars that explained SEO’s. I took a class on social media. I signed up for a craft conference. I spoke with other vendors about good shows. I sought solutions. Maybe they were resolutions all along just disguised in synonyms. These were just the solutions within my business, although they extend deep into my personal life. I truly believe problem solving creates resilience. Resilience is not only established in the first few years of life, it can be fine tuned, honed, and encouraged through environmental factors. Resilience is what breeds solutions and nourishes the branches of imagination to induce creativity in problem solving.

“What do you look like in the face of disappointment?” a question I heard on a radio interview many years ago. It’s always stuck with me and helped me to create solutions. So, if I’m overweight and unhealthy, the solution is to change what I am doing. That would indicate I need to eat healthier and most likely exercise. Most people have a “resolution to loose weight” and I have had that “hope” for many years, although there is no action plan. It’s just lip service. A solution requires effort, creativity, and action.

As I shift into the new year which will end the decade, I want to move into the home where my dreams reside. I want to get comfortable, set up shop, and reach for new solutions to a whole slew of new problems. The problems are what makes us human. Without problems and struggle, it would be difficult to truly know happiness. I resolve to continue to seek solutions that will help me achieve my goals.