As 2007 draws to a close, many people are preparing their next year’s resolutions. I find it really interesting how and why they still come up with a long list of “to do’s” every new year when they haven't resolved last year's.
Resolution-making is good because it highlights a solely human attribute: the ability to set goals. Unlike dogs, cats, monkeys, and horses (allow me to stick with mammals), Homo Sapiens are equipped with prudence and good judgment. Perhaps the advantage of other animals over humans is their so-called, highly developed, sixth sense in which they can predict when disasters will happen that’s why they need no goal-setting features. I have to admit it’s something I envy about their genus. Imagine yourself having the power to see the future or forecast risks 100 percent of the time. Wouldn’t it be cool? Well, that would be too good to be true especially with so many loonies looming the planet with remote controls in hands itching to blow up a city with just a push of a button. Imagine that power.
Now, imagine the powerless. Those people who couldn’t find the strength to stand literally and figuratively because of lack of food or job. Those people who worry about where to get their daily meal, whether edible or spoiled, just to fill their empty stomachs. We see them everyday rummaging our garbage bins.
We also see them walking our business districts with brown envelopes and folders in hand carrying application forms and resumes hoping to find work even when they’re 50 years old -- too old to get employed. They too have resolutions. They want to pay their monthly bills on time, make sure the kids have school allowance, and that they eat three meals in a day. And just like our cherished yearly resolutions, they never materialize.
Every year we come up with plans of how to better ourselves. In fact, tons of newspaper and magazine articles have been devoted to people's new year's resolutions. In blogs alone,I've read 37 of them already. And I assume those resolutions are the same as last year's. Here in the Philippines, a polling station even devoted three days surveying Filipinos' expectations and their plans for next year. Maybe they did that to make the people forget about our government's political and economic blunders even for a short while. Knowing Filipinos, we're a hopeful and happy bunch.
What bothers me though is our inability to follow through with our goals. We set goals every year to improve our individual stations but fail to accomplish them in the following months. I think we're not really good when it comes to beefing up our individual selves because we're gregarious by nature.
We think about our resolutions when we're alone in our rooms. Some of you might have listened to your favorite music or watched your favorite movie for some inspiration before planning your future. My friend listens to Survivor's Eye of the Tiger because he's a Rocky Balboa fan. The song psyche's him up and helps when he thinks of his plans. But still, making resolutions this way is pretty much beyond our social nature.
For a change, why don't we come up with collective resolutions? I mean, our offices and company execs set quarterly and yearly corporate goals and we make sure we hit our targets. Why not group resolutions? Family resolutions? Community resolutions? Village resolutions? I think it would be more fruitful if resolutions are made this way.
Although I agree with Adam Smith that men should be left to each his own, but having someone to plan with you is positive reinforcement. You serve as one another's checks, remind each other's goals from time to time and we extend a hand when we think one of us finds it difficult to make things happen.
Earlier, I said something about the animal kingdom. They might be bad through-lines but I tell you they're not. I think the reason why humans are placed on top of the food chain is because we can congregate. We have power in our communes. Other animals herd but we assemble better because our brains are much larger. I just don't know why we don't often use them together.
I've spoken with my wife about this because she asked me a few hours ago what my 2008 plans are. I told her about me resigning from work. That I'm not happy at all. She said "how could you be so selfish? What about the kids?" It's difficult to land a job here in the Philippines because they don't come on a regular basis. Most of the available jobs are in BPOs and require a special skill to get employed. I told her WE can do something about it. That WE could pull it through and she understood. I told her about me writing full-time... she winced. After a few seconds of dry silence she said, "just make your priorities straight and make sure you bring home the bread. We'll be on this together". It's liberating and I feel like I can conquer the world! I always believe that people can make magic. In our case, I believe my wife and I can make wonders.
One final imagining. Think again of the powerless I just described. Think of them and include them in our collective resolutions. Include them in our little communes and rest assured they won't be powerless anymore.
