Thursday, July 26, 2018
New Years resolutions are for suckers so here are mine
New Years resolutions are for suckers so here are mine
I was watching one of the New Years Eve in Times Square specials last week in an effort to keep myself awake until midnight. Some celebrity or another was interviewing people, and the question was, "What is your New Years resolution?"
As I listened to what the people were saying, I couldnt help but feel sorry for them. They all had such high and lofty goals. And while Id very much like to see them succeed, the truth is that I wouldnt put my money in their court if we were betting whether or not theyd keep their resolutions. They were all some variation of this: "Im going to transform myself into an all-around better person by eating healthy/exercising/spending less time on Facebook/insert life altering choice here."
The problem is that the ideas were so big and undefined...and the results were so dramatic - the very best version of themselves they could imagine. Its no wonder that most people seem to have given up on their New Years resolutions before Valentines Day.
So, my new theory on New Years resolutions is not to get carried away. Pick very specific and achievable things. Then do those. So heres what Ive got on my list for 2012.
1. Make cheese. From scratch. Probably mozzarella.
2. Integrate the use of the phrase "and so on" into everyday speech. Instead of trailing off when Im talking to people because Ive not formulated an articulate and complete thought, this phrase will make me sound smart and put together...and so on.
3. Send Birthday cards. Who doesnt like getting mail? And, I may be bad at having regular phone calls with friends or even returning emails, but theres nothing like a good, old-fashioned birthday card to let them know that I actually do still like them.
4. Blog better....alright, alright, in terms of "lofty, undefined goals," this one probably tops the charts. (Good thing my New Years resolution wasnt to stick to my new theory on New Years resolutions, right?). But, it isnt all that unspecific. You see, last fall, I got really caught up in the numbers game of blogging: How many followers do I have? How many visitors do I get in a week? Whats my Klout score? Has anyone mentioned me on Twitter in the last twelve minutes? Have I read all 586 blogs in my Google Reader? Have I responded to each and every person who comments on my posts and made a relatively thoughtful comment back on their post - even if it means I dont actually have time to write on my own blog today?
And...perhaps not surprisingly...I got totally burned out. Blogging wasnt fun. It became a task and a chore. I forgot that the reason I started blogging was just to write, and it didnt matter whether anyone read what I had to say or not. So, thats what I want to do: just write. Hopefully Ill entertain or inspire along the way. Hopefully Ill repair the bloggy friendships I damaged when I abandoned the blog world all at once. Hopefully Ill make even more friends. But, mostly, I just want an outlet.
So, I apologize in advance if you leave a comment and I dont comment back. Know that I appreciate each and every one of you who reads what I have to say. And I do read your blogs. You guys are awesome.
Alright, enough blabbering for today. How about you: Did you make any New Years resolutions?
