A Resolution for the New Year

I hear people make resolutions each year, and we all know they won't be kept. So, this year I've decided to make a resolution I can keep.

In 2008, I have resolved to have more fun. That's it. It may seem like a strange resolution, so I'll try and explain it a bit.

Everyone has goals and plans. These are good things, but as they say, life is what happens while you are making other plans. The problem with all those goals and plans is that they exist in the future. I can tell you that the future doesn't exist. Living your life there is a waste of time.

I like living in the present. That is what fun is all about. Somewhere along the way, I forgot that. The present is all that really exists. This doesn't mean you shouldn't plan for the future or have some direction in your life. But the enjoyment of life comes not from the destination but from the journey.

I learned this back in college. When you start your higher education, you look at four years of work that you have to get done, and it is depressing. I know it depressed me. So, I said fuck it and just focused on going to class and learning shit. I had a blast. I was having so much fun I took summer courses. Then, one day, my advisor informed me that I had enough credits to graduate. Did I want to graduate this semester?

I was a bit stunned because I had forgotten about graduating. I had become so engrossed in learning that I had forgotten about the piece of paper that came attached to it. I turned in the paperwork, completed my last semester, and walked across the stage at the Carolina Coliseum. College was done.

I became a lifelong learner after that, and I have continued to learn and study until the present day. I learned from a professor that a college education is free. All you need is a library card. And he said this in the days before the internet where you can now read numerous sources or download entire college lectures for free.

It is one thing to be dedicated to goals and accomplishments and be "driven." But this sheer will is not enough to carry you. This is why resolutions fail. Willpower is weak. You only need enough of it to get started. Beyond that, fun is the only thing that will sustain you.

I witnessed this with my girlfriend trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon. As her qualifier neared, she was very miserable, and I thought she would blow a gasket when she failed to qualify. Instead, she seemed elated. She seemed very happy, and I took a picture of her that day. I have never seen such joy on her face before.

I know the reason she was happy. The taskmaster was gone. She was free to have fun again. But with a return to training and the same goal as before, I watched her enthusiasm wane again. I don't know how it will end for her.

I am a big believer in having a purpose in life. I believe everything we do has a purpose and an end culminating in the ultimate end which is happiness. Happiness is the byproduct of a life of rational activity. It comes as we pursue our goals. For most people, college is about getting a piece of paper. For me, it was about learning. The paper took care of itself. Similarly, training is about getting in shape and improving fitness. I think if my girlfriend focuses on that, the Boston Marathon will take care of itself.

All of this is simply a change of mind. It is not about changing your activities but changing your thinking about those activities. I would never counsel people to go rudderless through life. But I can tell you that I was disappointed the day I graduated from college because the ride was over. I had enjoyed every bit of my "accomplishment."

I can tell you these things about driven people. They get things done, and they are miserable. If that is all life is, it is rather pointless. You suffer for years for a little momentary thrill? Fuck that. Crack addiction would be better. The high lasts longer and is easier to get.

I think the better way is to set your compass and lose yourself in the activity of it all. Don't lose sight of the goal, but don't burn yourself out either. As they say, life is a series of problems to be solved. Take one day at a time and have fun solving those problems. The ultimate goal in life is to be happy. If you fail in that, you have failed in everything no matter what you end up achieving.

Here's to more fun in 2008! (The rest of you will simply call it work.)

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