Category: New Year

We love new things:
New clothes,
new cars,
new houses,
new furniture,
new phones,
new years,
new friends,
new babies (that seems redundant, they can’t be old babies).
“New” gives us illusions of hope,
a new beginning…there can’t be an old beginning, it’s all new.

I used to make New Year’s Resolutions about: losing weight, learning something different, appreciating others more, working harder, exercising more, etc., you know, the usual, but it rarely worked. Why?

1. Goals should be specific.
‘Lose weight’ is too vague, I’m probably losing weight while typing this, but I’ve made certain promises to chocolate and I always keep my word…small, specific, and significant steps (more later).

2. Write it down! Or make a visual representation of what you what to happen – pictures out of magazines or books (not the ones from the library), the internet, or if you have the ability, draw your goals yourself. Don’t forget, visit your goals often, revise them if necessary, re-imagine, and see where you want to be.

3. Watch out for ironic or self-defeating.
You know, trying to do a digital detox with an app on your smartphone (huh?).
Starting your diet by eating all the junk food in your house to avoid future temptations.
In a sense, common sense is the only sense that makes sense.

4. Prioritize.
One goal at a time. Reaching for all your goals at once puts all out of reach. Whether you start with the easiest or hardest, choose one, then move on to the next.

5. Don’t try for weird resolutions, like become rich and famous, it’s too broad and if you get it, you might not like it. Being broke and obscure doesn’t make you less, unless you let it. Celebrate yourself.

 6. New isn’t always better.
New shoes can pinch and cause blisters.
New movies often don’t live up to classics.
Babies keep you awake at night.
New cars smell and get recalled (if they don’t turn into a blazing inferno first).
New friends can’t relive good times with you, like family or old friends can…
Old isn’t always bad.
Make sure you’re not changing good things or fixing something that isn’t broken.
Maybe you don’t need fixing, maybe a few tweaks here and there will do the trick.

7. Be kind.
It’s easy to find fault, place blame, easy to get cranky and rude with ludicrous or ignorant people, easy to argue, fuss, and fight, but where does it get you?
Why swim in snark infested waters when you can float (they all float)…
Wouldn’t you rather lift someone up than knock them down (it’s better exercise too).
Why break a heart when you can heal it?

My resolutions? Don’t worry (it’s passive and gives us excuses not to do!!!). As I say goodbye to another birthday https://yadadarcyyada.com/2016/12/15/the-cats-pajamas-birthday-party/ and another year, my New Year’s Resolutions are simple: Do my best and enjoy; I tried it last year and so far, I like the results https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/01/06/im-not-inclined-to-resign-to-maturity/

Happy New Year! Wishing everyone a wonder-filled 2018 ! I’ll go back to wondering if it’s ever going to warm up!