The Tree of 2012

The time honored tradition of every New Year is to start the year by making a goal or list of goals in an attempt to improve oneself. The time honored tradition of every New Year’s goal or resolution is to forget about it.

It was best said by Eric Zorn this way. “Making resolutions is a cleansing ritual of self-assessment and repentance that demands personal honesty and, ultimately, reinforces humility.  Breaking them is part of the cycle.”

Why are New Years goals so difficult to keep?  My opinion is simply this: discipline. Specifically, a lack of discipline.  For certain the ‘goal-breaker’.

I am visualizing my goal setting for 2012 as the image of a tree.  The trunk of the tree is “Discipline”.  There are three broad areas of my personal goals, the branches which are each individually labeled   Heart, Body and Mind.  Each of these branches has a few specific twigs labeled with my goals for the year.

So why am I approaching this time-honored tradition of setting New Years goals with such seriousness?  Is it because I am unhappy?  Or maybe, dissatisfied with my life?

Most certainly not.  I have been blessed tremendously and have no desire to changed it.  Just improve it.  I have to admit that I have become very complacent in the past years.  I have not challenged myself and feel that I am simply going-with-the-flow.  The year 2011 was a wonderful year.  I am looking forward to the year 2012 being even better.