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Do NOT Make These New Year's Resolutions

By William Vogeler, Esq. on December 20, 2017 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

This could be the Year of the Contrarian.

This could be the year when you -- contrary to all your failed resolutions of the past -- succeed by going a different direction. Like driving in the opposition direction of traffic, you could be flying down the highway of life.

When everybody else is thinking inside the box, you will be out standing. As Yoda said, in part, "Do not. There is no try."

Do NOT Start Over

There are no do-overs in life. You started at a particular point in time, and you didn't get to start life over when you failed at something.

That is especially true for New Year's resolutions. If you succeeded in one goal last year, then you can victorioulsy check it off your list.

But if you failed, don't put it back on your list. That's setting yourself up for failure. Change it up; make it attainable.

Do NOT Lose 10 Pounds

Obviously, don't lose 10 pounds if you are not overweight. But don't set a goal to lose a specific amount of weight even if you could lose a few pounds, either.

Why? Because there are a million (or so) diets that promise weight loss but then abandon you once you do, and then you gain it back. (This is 10 years of 10 pound-turnarounds talking, here.)

So if you are fighting the scale to make weight, set a goal to reach a certain range. That's how professional fighters do it.

Do NOT Meet the One

Here's a secret to meeting the one: there are more than one. At least on a planet with more than 7 billion people, the odds for a successful relationship are better than one.

Setting a goal to meet the one is a serious limitation. Instead, set a goal to meet lots of people and broaden your perspectives.

For today's busy lawyer, there is even an app for that.

Do NOT Waste Time

Actually, this NOT is a contrarian's delight. As the Merovingian posed, "If we do not ever take time, how can we ever have time?"

So don't spend too much time making resolutions. Just do, or do not. There is no try.

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