Such is the time of year when we leave behind end-of-year rituals and pick up the most notorious beginning-of-year hooha: the proverbial, foolhardy but well-intentioned “New Year’s Resolution.”

It seems to be ingrained in us — to take stock of the flaws and mistakes in our last year’s behavior and try to make amends for the fresh, clean slate of the next one about to roll out. The well-meaning chance to suck in the gut, stand up straight, stay clean and not leaving the toilet seat up.

Many of us make some kind of attempt but most of them never leave the mental “to do” list. Some who really take this seriously write it out (“this year, I hereby resolve, written in blood, to …” or “not to …”) But just like the merry-go-round of fad diets, such inspirational modifications have a very short-lived shelf life. We give it the gung-ho in January, slip a bit in February but keep slogging away, begin to tread water by March, and by the warm summer sun activities of May-August, they are put on “temporary hold” altogether — only by December, once more, to fade away altogether and forgotten under the 10 extra pounds we’ve added to our waistlines. January completes the cycle when we swear “this time, I’m going to stick to it no matter how much it hurts.”

I’ve long ago given up the idea as hogwash, knowing that I’m just setting myself up for failure and shame for not following through, for “this time” never comes to fruition. But is the idea of instituting real, meaningful change in our lives and continuing to try charting the course no matter what, a complete waste of time? Should we abandon the ideal altogether as a hopeless proposition? Or should we switch the focus, not as an individual goal affecting only me, but to that of corporate, social resolutions that affect us all?

A dear friend of mine named Andy who resides in Santa Cruz, California, and is a Universalist-Unitarian minister recently turned me on to a set of ideals that comes out of an Anglican concept termed “The Seven Social Sins.” They are as follows:

1. Wealth without work.

2. Pleasure without conscience.

3. Knowledge without character.

4. Commerce without morality.

5. Science without humanity.

6. Religion without sacrifice.

7. Politics without principle.

I propose that, as a society, we should and can resolve to change these “withouts” to “withs” — wealth dependent solely on personal labor for the greater moral good of all; pleasure that inculcates a deep awareness and moral outcome based on the actual costs put on other people and the environment for our desires; knowledge that truly takes full account and responsibility of the end product; commercial enterprises that benefit every human being equally on the planet and the earth itself; scientific research with the goal of creating a just future and healing without subsidies from the merchants of mammon; religion that advocates full equity among everything, decries the acquisition of largesse, and promotes something greater than ourselves in the realm of morality; and finally, a corporate politic that cannot be bought off, swindled, corrupted and manipulated for the wealthy by the wealthy.

It’s a tall order, I know. But these New Year’s resolutions are essential and a lot more important than vowing to eat more broccoli. Let us all resolve to do our part.