Fatherly Newsletter

Resolutions have a bad rap. There’s certainly nothing wrong with renewing your commitment to being a better person, to make meaningful change in the new year. The turn of a calendar year is a fresh start, all glistening and full of hope. But, as a whole, so many resolutions feel so vague or unrealistic. The intent is pure, but the reality is muddy. That’s why 75-percent of New Year’s Resolutions fail before February. And in 2021? Few of us have the energy or interest to take on another challenge.

Goal-setting is worthy. The desire to be a better person should always flicker, especially for parents who want to set good example for their kids. But lofty promises never kept can wear you down. That’s why, at the start of the new year, we wanted to offer some simple resolutions that revolve around a central conceit: connection. Connection with your friends (reach out more), with your partner (prioritize date nights), with your kids (just sit and watch them. Seriously). They don’t take huge amounts of time or effort. In fact, most require small, but meaningful, corrections. That doesn’t mean they don’t out big dividends.

“Little moments are all we really have,” says Sonja Lyubomirsky, professor of psychology at University of California, Riverside and author of The How of Happiness. “The small moves aggregate and add up.” Here’s to a year of small moves that make a big difference.