A lot of people are making resolutions right now. Some people are just making goals, and that’s an interesting distinction to me.
I didn’t make any goals in 2024. I don’t think that held me back from achieving great things. But I also didn’t make any resolutions in 2024. And in some ways I think that was a lost opportunity.
Resolutions are hard because what if I don’t want the same things next year that I want right now? What if I get injured in February? What if my family life changes? What if the economy changes?
A resolution is an announcement that you plan to fight for this thing, to sacrifice for it.
A resolution is acceptance that you may not get what you want, but you want it enough to imperil yourself to that possibility.
A resolution is radical optimism – stalwart against reality’s devils.
We don’t resolve to do something because we wish for it; we resolve to do something because we are resolute – in the face of its absurdity, its audacity, its monstrosity.
So I don’t resolve to climb V13 or lift some amount of weight this year – though I do hope and plan to do those things.
But I resolve to be more compassionate, articulate and patient. I resolve to demand more of myself.
The world is not going to magically get better this year, and neither am I. So I resolve to let the worst of the world bounce off of me more than I did in 2024.
It’s not as sexy as climbing a harder number, but I can hardly imagine a more worthy challenge than that.