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Column: New year, same old me

The Roman Report by Zachary Roman
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The view from about halfway down Silver Star Mountain Resort’s “Far Out” green run. (Zachary Roman/Eagle Valley News)

I never make a new year’s resolution.

Why? It’s as simple as the fact I know I won’t keep it. Not making one in the first place saves me from future disappointment and the feeling of failure.

It’s not that there aren’t things I’d like to resolve to do. I have books I want to read, hiking trails I want to traverse and snowboard tricks I want to learn.

Unfortunately for me, the turn of the year will not magically bring me any more time or energy. I’ll still be working 40 hours a week and trying in vain to keep up with chores and errands.

In all likelihood, my books will remain unopened, new hiking trails will not be the recipient of my footprints and I’d be immeasurably stoked to learn a board slide, let alone a 360.

If this all seems depressing to you, well, it is. But it also isn’t, because I’m going to work hard to prove myself wrong.

One of the most unfortunate lessons I have learned during my 23 rotations around the sun is that making improvements to my life takes time and dedication. Lame, right?

I learned that the hard way in my efforts to overcome my then-awful Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) that pretty-well ruined two years of my late teens. Seeing a therapist, getting a prescription and getting back into the outside world doing things I love proved to be immensely difficult. It also gave me perspective.

I didn’t beat that overnight. In fact, something like that never really goes away; it just became manageable thanks to my efforts.

Applying that logic to my everyday life (in which I think about action sports 24/7), I’m not going to learn a board slide overnight. I also probably won’t ever learn every trick I want to — and that’s okay.

I reckon I’m one of the world’s strongest advocates for telling people not to beat themselves up and celebrating the small victories in everyday life.

So if you’re fed up with new year’s resolutions, join me in just trying to do your best instead.

Read more: Column: Good things might be just around the corner

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Do you have something else we should report on? Email: zachary.roman@saobserver.net
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