Mark's Mailbag: New Year's Resolutions

This month our resident advice columnist, Mark Harrod, gives us his two cents on keeping your New Year's resolutions. 

 Got a question for Mark? Throw it in the pile for next month's issue here.

Mark, It's the 15th of January and I’ve already fallen off the wagon with respect to my resolutions. What gives?

-Pat
Joliet, IL

That's a tough one, Pat. I think the key is not viewing resolutions as all-or-nothing changes in your life. I don't want to make any assumptions, but if your resolution was to get up at 6:00 AM and do your stretches every day you were doomed from the start. There are always going to be times when the world conspires to keep you in bed. I don't sleep a lot, but 6:00 AM ticks on with me still in bed these days. Particularly when I take melatonin to help get to sleep the night before.

Side-note: the Target brand melatonin pills I have are either super-powered or I’m a very sensitive sleeper. The worst and most vivid nightmares I've had are melatonin-induced. One morning, last week, I woke myself up by yelling, "WHO IS IN THE HOUSE?!" I should stop taking that stuff.

Anyway, give yourself a break and just start over on the resolution allowing for inevitable failure. Instead of "I'm not going eat Taco Bell in 2017," use "I won't eat Taco Bell in a vehicle in 2017," forcing yourself to dine-in should do the trick.

Mark, what are some of your resolutions for the New Year?

-Pat
Joliet, IL

Pat you are keyed-in on resolutions this year, eh? If you'll help hold me accountable, I'll spill the beans on one of them.

Wear cowboy boots to work every Thursday. So far I'm one-for-two on this one. I've dragged coworker, friend, and previous Mark's Mailbag questioner, Justin, in on this resolution. His reaction to my forgetting to wear boots on Jan 12, "Mark, I am very disappointed in you." As he should be.

There's always next week, though. The only complicating factor will be if I have to suit up for a big meeting. I'm a confident guy, but I’m not wear-cowboy-boots-with-a-suit confident.

Mark is a former lawyer who lives in Nashville. If you see a guy that looks like a former lawyer in Germantown, feel free to say, "Hi." You can also find him on the internet at basketofchips.com and @cmharrod.