There was plenty of conversation about New Year’s resolutions yesterday, and I can’t think of anything more futile. Most don’t work, and who needs that kind of failure to begin the new year?  I know I don’t. I’m not being pessimistic, really, I’m not. I just believe that most people don’t understand how the brain is hard wired in regard to personal habits, many of which we’d like to get rid of. Our brains are not unlike computers in this regard. The brain, with the assistance of our emotions create shortcuts all the time. It is an excellent way to remain efficient. Unfortunately, efficiency sometimes helps create that habitual behavior that we’d like to resolve to get rid of.  You know what I’m talking about, the kind of emotional response that comes out of no where that we seem to have limited control to stop.  That’s why just deciding to make a change often isn’t enough. The first step is really to look at the emotional connection to the bad habits we like to change and the shake everything else up in our daily lives to create new pathways. If we don’t understand the emotional connection to why we eat too much, or smoke too much or shop too much, or never finish what we start or never start anything at all, the habit won’t change. And change is the thing we tend to resist the most, even if it is the only thing that is certain in life. Sometimes the comfort of what we know, even if it is bad is more appealing than the discomfort that comes with facing the unknown, even if it’s good for us. So go ahead, resolve to make beneficial changes in your life, but know that repair is never painless and revelation may be emotionally uncomfortable. I find the journey worth it though, especially with good friends to support you