MAKING RESOLUTIONS THAT STICK

EVERY YEAR at this time, we see a deluge of well-intentioned New Year’s resolutions come into the world. The holiday season is a time of reflection. It’s part of our tradition to examine our lives in many areas, such as work, play, health and relationships. When we discover the areas that aren’t working well, we often create a New Year’s resolution to work on them.

But here is the rub. We make our resolutions in the relaxed atmosphere of the holidays. As soon as we return to the “real world” in January, we find our resolve being severely tested. By spring, the best of our intentions have often evaporated along with the snow.

So what happens to our resolutions? Why can’t we keep them? The answer may lie in understanding that a resolution is different than making a commitment. A semantic argument you may say. Perhaps. But having the distinction between resolution and commitment cleared up made me understand why my New Year’s resolutions were doomed from the start.

A commitment is defined in the Oxford dictionary as an actual way of being in the world. We live commitment, unlike a resolution where we are simply stating our intentions.

A good and wise friend of mine likes to say: “Show me where someone spends their time and money, and I’ll show you what they’re committed to.” Resolutions or mission statements are fine for starters. They are necessary calls for action, symbols of commitment, but in the end they are only opinions expressed about the way it ought to be. In commitment you go a step further. You put something at stake. Sometimes this means putting your money where your mouth is. If not money, devoting precious time signifies real commitment. Putting your reputation on the line is yet another strong incentive to stick to what you say.

In this issue of The Bull, we see glimpses of commitment. We see Gord Nixon, head of the Royal Bank, Canada’s largest financial institution, putting his reputation on the line to make real changes in the way his bank does business. Our story about the Christian crusaders of Bay Street demonstrates how gaps between stated intentions and actual commitments are askew. We see business people who are lacking a commitment to ethical practices suffering and turning to Christian values for answers.

We learn more about how commitment works on the Wisdom Page. Bill Hallett, a professional fundraiser, tells us that making a commitment doesn’t have to be painful. In fact, many successful philanthropic commitments begin with pure self-interest. Hallett points out that the wealthiest among us don’t like giving their money away to just any cause, no matter how deserving. However, once they find something that hits home they’ll often write a cheque. After that there is usually no going back. Their commitment just keeps growing and so do the cheques. They go through a kind of transformation, according to Hallett, where the joy of giving becomes more than just a cliché. In some cases, they get to connect to society in ways they never could have imagined.

It may be worthwhile this holiday season to discover our current commitments. It calls for honest answers about how we spend our time and money, and what it is that we really want out of life. For some, it may be the beginning of making some big changes backed by real commitments. For others, it may mean no big changes are necessary. New Year’s resolutions will do. After all, they are fun to make up, especially when we really don’t have to keep them.

Happy Holidays!

See you in February.

Sincerely,

Martin Power