Basic HTML Version
MASTERING
THOSE
RUGGED
RESOLUTIONS
by
Arthur C. Mokarow
" /'m going to stick to a rigid
diet this year and keep slim. "
"This year no more credit
purchases - / 'm getting out
of debt." Sound familiar?
Millions of such reso/utions
are made every year, but pre–
cious few are ever realized.
Here are the keys for master–
ing those rugged resolu–
tions.
T
he new year tradit ional ly
brings personal introspection
and resolutions. People the
world over think of what they want
to accomplish during the next 12
months. Sorne people merely
make wishes, but many make res–
olutions to regulate their daily liv–
Ing and thus. hopefully, increase
their prospects for happiness.
There's nothing wrong with goal
setting, but disappointments and
The PLAIN TRUTH
January
1977
desperation mount when goals go
unachieved. A person 's failure to
achieve usually isn't caused by a
lack of ability. but rather it is
caused by the lack of follow–
through and sustained determined
effort.
Let's say you are presently in
debt $1 ,200. Your resolution is to
eliminate all your debts in 1977.
This is your goal. Where do you
start? You 've defined the goal, but
you need to develop a program to
chart your progress. and you
need to establ ish realistic inter–
mediate objectives. Two essentials
must be considered: time and
quantity. Your goal is to erase
your financia! red ink by the end
ot
the year. Your intermediate ob–
jective might be to hit a $25 re–
duction each week, or a $100
reduction per month. This way
you know from week to week
whether or not you are accom–
plishing your goal. Th is time–
quantity measurement is essential
to maintaining the follow-through
and momentum that you need.
But you say you have tried it
before, and it only works for a
short time? You find yourselt taith–
ful for a tew weeks or months, and
then your resolve evaporates?
This is a common problem. Mil–
lions
ot
people the world over
make resolutions. but not all are
successful.
Why Many
Fail
Consider a person on a diet. His
goal is to lose 20 pounds in two
months. That breaks down to 2
Y2
pounds a week in eight weeks. He
has a goal - to lose weight. He
also has intermediate objectives -
2% pounds per week (time and
quantity).
·
He gets started . The first week
he loses 3 pounds and has a tre–
mendous feeling of elation. He's
succeeding! He's motivated to
continue the second week. The
second week he happens to expe–
rience no weight loss. This he
views as fai lure. His first react ion
is to quit, but perhaps his resolve
empowers him to continue for the
third week.
Then, during that week, a lun-
cheon opportunity comes along at
a fabulous. gourmet restaurant.
The menu is delectable. The most
overpowering, delicious. mouth–
watering delights are set in array
before him. A new challenge has
emerged: to lose or not to lose.
Since the ego won't countenance
failure. it's time for a rational ·
ization: "What's the difference.
1
didn ' t lose anything last week by
staying on the diet. This little bit
can't make a difference" - so he
digs in. That was his first failure.
During the same week he allows
himself an extra dessert on two
different occasions and a few be–
tween-meal snacks. By the end of
the week he has gained
2Y2
pounds. Disheartened, he quits
his diet, claiming his diet won' t
work - because he can 't blame
himself.
Justification is a human tech–
nique to rational ize failures so that
they're acceptable to the ego.
Once a person perceives a failure
as a justified action, he loses his
resolve to accomplish a goal. A
proverb states that every man is
right in his own eyes. How true
that is. A person tends to justify
his actions - become right in his
own mind - in order to avoid an
honest admission of failure. which
his mind won' t tolerate. This is the
basic reason that a person tails to
meet his resolutions.
But how can you learn to stick
to your goals with dogged deter–
mination- never wavering?
Taklng the " Rugged" Out of
Resolutions
First. before you commit yourselt
to a new resolution, honestly mea–
su re the depth of your intent to
achieve your goal. The stronger
your commitment, the more in–
tense your willpower wi ll be. lf
your commitment is an honest
commitment, you will admit that
quitt ing is failure. You won ' t
accept tantasized justifications to
excuse your commitment. Since
you don't like fai lure, you will
be motivated to continue your
resolution.
Next. assign your goal a definite
(Continued on page 45)
19