Well I'm off to a strong start on the new year, making such a strange statement and admitting that I never play the New Year's Resolution game. You know the routine. Thousands and thousands of people 'resolve' to change something for the better: quit smoking, get in shape, do more volunteer work and so on. Dancers are smarter than all that.

How does any dancer, or athlete for that matter, stay in top form? By constantly working, evaluating progress, and making the necessary adjustments along the way. Setting goals, putting yourself in competitive / growth situations, and paying attention to details. Success is, as they say, in the details.

A successful dancer does not decide to wait until January 1 to correct a flaw in her technique. She fixes it when she becomes aware of it. That means she can't be afraid to use the mirror or feedback from respected peers and mentors -- to hunt down flaws and fix them proactively.

he terms resolution and diet have both taken on too many  negative associations and since a popular resolution is to 'diet' I'm linking them here. Negative? Doesn't the very mention of 'resolution' or 'diet' conjure thoughts of pain, discomfort, sacrifice, even martyrdom?

Even worse, 'resolution' and 'diet' imply a plan or maybe even a decision. A diet is a plan to lose weight. You can resolve or plan or decide to stop smoking. Or even 'resolve to follow a plan' designed to help you shed unwanted pounds.

All this is too remote of a possibility and not action oriented enough for my taste. As soon as you realize that your plie needs work, or that your health or dance are suffering from your smoking or eating habits -- don't resolve, don't plan, but simply 'make it so.' Fix problems as they occur and as you recognize them.

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I'm convinced that we need a change. Why start the new year off with a promise we likely can't keep?

emember what I said about 'success is in the details?' It just so happens that there is another, more useful definition of the word 'resolution.'

resolution: the capability of an optical system of making clear and distinguishable the separate parts or components of an object

Maybe a little geeky, yet resolution is really a way to describe how clearly you see your challenges and your world.

Your computer monitor and TV operate at a set resolution.  The TV and older computers display at low resolutions (low res) meaning the displayed text is big and chunky, the level of detail you can identify is poor, and your view is narrow and won't accommodate very many windows or pictures at one time.

Film, printing presses, even your eyes have set resolutions that can't be improved without replacing equipment. Even if you are sight disabled the brain can learn to appreciate the finer details in life and to create detail for others. Yet a lazy brain and perfect eyes see issues and challenges only in low res, in black and white. On or off, no detail, nothing sublime, only marginally creative.

So it is high time I attempt to wrap this column up, reaching some sort of a conclusion that pulls all these lose threads together to make a point.

Let's redefine New Year's Resolutions. Don't make resolutions but set your brain and vision on high res mode. Strive for improved resolution and getting the details perfect -- with which you'll constantly monitor your own growth, help us with ours, and be abundantly creative in the coming year.