I may possibly be the last person on Earth to make my resolutions for 2009.
Well, except for those crabby ass I don’t believe in New Year’s Resolution people.
(Which, by the way? Ridiculous. How do you not believe in New Year’s Resolutions? Like it’s a fucking philosophical school of thought or something. Who spends so much time thinking about New Year’s Resolutions that they form an article of faith on their stance for or against them? Chill. Out. Seriously.)
ANYway… I’m late to the party. But I’ve been thinking about it here and there ever since 11:58 on New Year’s Eve night when a fellow party goer casually asked, “so, what’s your resolution this year?” and I said “oh, um, shit. I dunno. I should get on that.”
I started thinking about areas of my life I’d like to resolve to focus on (which is really all a New Year’s Resolution is. Crab asses.). The problem is, I quickly realized there are quite a few areas of my life that need work.
Like the fact that my not at all low rise jeans are stuck below my belly.
Or the fact that the muffin top gut does not go away even when I am naked.
Or how about the fact that I haven’t finished a glass of water in roughly 29 years?
Or that I have two “books” that I’ve started and abandoned in the last year at the 4,500 words and meh, I’ll just watch Grey’s Anatomy tonight mark.
Or that I need to learn to practice Not Saying Anything If I Don’t Have Anything Nice To Say.
Or that -
-um
OK, that’s all I can think of at the moment. But I’m sure there’s more. There’s always more.
And that’s what my resolution is about this year. I resolve to always be working on getting better. What that means in not airy fairy vague ambiguous bullshit language is:
I will set one new “resolution” per month and work every day of that month on creating a new habit in support of that goal.
I figure it takes 21 days to make a new habit and creating several small “good habits” can have a big impact on my life without overwhelming the shit out of me.
For example:
This month (I still have time!), I will walk 30 minutes each morning. Every day.
I won’t stress about how I also want to do yoga. Or run. Or write more. Or get better at cooking and photography and organizing and keeping up with household messes. Or even how I want to lose X amount of pounds and X amount of rolls.
I’m just going to focus on walking 30 minutes. Every day.
Hopefully by the end of the month the habit will be there and I’ll be able to move on to the next thing.
Or I’ll be ready to announce my new anti-New Year’s Resolution platform.
This month, I will sleep in 30 minutes more each morning since you will be walking and won’t be at work. I like this plan!
@avitable, no, because on Tuesdays and Thursdays I’m going to drag your ass out of bed and make you walk with me.
Would you mind doing an extra 20 min for me? Just email me with my time and calories burned. Thx.
@Angie [A Whole Lot of Nothing], calories burned? I’m WALKING! And not that weird arm pumping walking either.
21 days to make a new habit seems too long at times. No wonder why my previous resolutions never worked.
Good luck accomplishing yours this year.
@martymankins, 21 days always sounds like no big deal in my head.
But by about day I’m all “OH MY GOD WHY IS THIS STILL HARD?!?!” Heh.
I love your idea of one small resolution each month.
I’m pretty happy that so far I’ve cut out drinking everything that isn’t water or tea. Now if only I could get my lazy bum to the gym…
@Sarah, drinking that much water does more good for your health than just about anything else you can do, I think. Good for you!
That’s a really good idea. Just for the record, I don’t use the word resolution. I stick with the word goal- it just sounds better LOL
@Donna, I usually use the word “this thing I’m trying out.” Whatever works.
I’m a crabby ass non resolution maker, hehe. Who says I have to make resolutions? Just because you say so? Why do we make ourselves feel like failures so soon into a new year? Who decided that this was a good idea and when…when did this ridiculous notion that we have to start fresh just because it’s a new year crap start? So there you go, I resolve to refuse to make resolutions….DAMMIT…you got me.
K.
@Kris, woahhh. You’ve got some serious feelings about these resolution thingies, eh?
I never make resolutions, mainly because I know myself well enough to know I probably won’t stick with them. But…and that’s a big BUT…I am toying with a few and even trying them out like a pair of shoes. So far not so good but there’s still a blog post to come about the whole damn thing because you know, failure is funny, right? I think FAIL Blog would agree
@Caffeinatrix, I think this entire blog is proof of the fact that failure is funny.
Well, failure and vaginas, apparently.
I made the same resolution to walk each day. Lasted one day. Here’s to hoping you do better. Much better.
@B.E. Earl, I’m on day 4 so far.
I don’t appreciate your belittlement and intolerance of one of my articles of faith. I refuse to resolute.
Your such an ultra-conservative.
@NYCWD, yes. I am. Palin and I hang out.
@Miss Britt, I know it.
Bison Britty.
wow, i’m a crabby ass person coz i don’t make new year’s resolutions. i happen to be all about making a change at any time, simply because it needs to be made.
which reminds me, i am still so proud of you for not smoking. i love that you worked so hard to quit and stuck to it. yay, you!
you can do anything you put your mind to. go get em!
@hello haha narf, I wasn’t saying not making resolutions makes you crabby.
Posting yard signs that say “NO ON NYE RESOLUTIONS!” makes you crabby.
cocksucker!
see what happens when i comment before the ass crack of dawn!
the above comment was supposed to be on britt’s site. dammit.
ok, off to copy and paste. then i’ll be back with your comment.
oh my fuck, i just wrote your comment on adam’s site. wow. way too early for commenting, obviously.
copying and pasting:
wow, i’m a crabby ass person coz i don’t make new year’s resolutions. i happen to be all about making a change at any time, simply because it needs to be made.
which reminds me, i am still so proud of you for not smoking. i love that you worked so hard to quit and stuck to it. yay, you!
you can do anything you put your mind to. go get em!
wait. what the fuck is going on? i had adam’s site open in one tab and you in another. and now i am commenting like the complete jackass that i am.
sigh.
seriously too early for this shit. i think i am going to take a nap.
and maybe make a resolution to not comment before noon on saturdays.
@hello haha narf, are you high?
Mine was to be more awesome.
A daunting task I concede, but one I am willing to work on.
@Kelley, wow, shooting for the stars!
God, there are so many damn wonderful things floating around the blogiverse right now and this is another one I’m going to steal.
I never thought about setting a monthly goal theme.
My January goal? To make that damn Wii Fit say I weigh something less than 145 just ONE TIME!
@Heather, Queen of Shake Shake, I want a Wii Fit so damn bad.
With all the stress you have about just making or not making resolutions, it sure would seem like you’d want a smoke.
Oh, oops. sorry.
Um, hey, good for you!
@whall, Nope! Not at all, actually.
Not at the moment.
I made my resolution back on Nov 4th. I quit smoking. On Jan 1st, I renewed my vows, so to speak.
Walking 30 min. is a great one. Seriously, stick to that and you’ll be amazed how much it does for you inside & out.
@Kimberly, Go you! I didn’t even know you smoked and now you quit. We could have shared cigarettes together last year!
Hmmm… I like this. I can definitely use this to work toward my “do what I need to do to be happy” resolution.
I just love my one New Year’s resolution is so vague that it could mean just sitting on the couch and watching every single episode of “Grey’s Anatomy.” I”m brilliant like that.
@Finn, that is pretty genius. Set yourself up for success.
I like your approach.
@Mindee, thanks. Hopefully it works out.
You are so beyond me. I just wanna stop dropping donut crumbs on the keyboard while reading your blog post.
@Musing, baby steps. Baby steps.
Although, I don’t see what you have against crumbs…
I am laughing at Becky’s flubs this morning!!
I also take offense in your persecution of my kind- we who do not believe in these resolutions.
Haha obviously kidding.
Except I’m not.
But you have the strength of ten men, so I am sure you’ll do whatever you want.
Where are your smilies?!
@Sybil Law, sweetheart, I haven’t had smilies on here since I redesigned the blog! LOL
That’s a great goal! I was hoping to lose the muffin-top before I turn 30, but seeing as how that is TOMORROW, I think I am shit out-of-luck! You should join us over at Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans!
@Melissa, ooh! I’m a day late that means in saying this, but, still:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
You knooooow, a puppy is a great motivating factor to walking. Of course, you also have to train the puppy, but it’s hard to not go on a walk when you have a little, furry, cute being who looooooves to walk.
Just sayin!
@Stephanie, hell. no.
I like your way of doing resolutions. My only resolution this year is to learn how to knit. I did a somewaht similar thing as you with the monthly thing only i just separated the year into two halfs. Since January-June is my last semester of college i’m not sure how much time I will have for knitting, but I at least want to have bought stuff like a book and other things by summer. Than from summer until December I want to actually knit something.
@Zandor, ooh – if you figure out that knitting thing, will you make me some washcloths?
Can I resolve to be more irresolute this year?
@cris, totally counts.
That’s a good one. I’m going to make some changes in my life too – but its not a New Years resolution, it’s just a resolution in general.
I want to practice Yoga for at least 30 minutes a day
why not? I’m unemployed and have the time.
@Sarcastica, your life is going to change this year? NOOOO!!! lol
Thanks for calling all the non-resolution makers out. They do seriously need to get a grip. And you are definitely not the last person on earth to make them. I’m still thinking about mine. But I do like this one resolution per month idea.
@Jen, I think you have, technically, until December 30th of this year to make your resolution.
So you’re good.
I make no resolutions. I’m such a chickenshit. I’m also exhausted and I figure any resolution I make will go down the tubes in favor of sleep. Hope you make it with yours, hon!
@Coal Miner’s Granddaughter, but do you take a stance against them or just “meh, don’t do them”?
I love your idea.. brilliantly efficient of you! to get 12 resolutions done, instead of just a few, or none at all. I’m gonna go right ahead and borrow your idea =) Hope it works out for you!
@pocket queen, yeah, let’s see now how many months I make it through before I blow it off. LOL
I prefer to call them goals because it seems more like something attainable to me than a resolution. It’s just semantics, I know. I think yours is awesome. I’ve started on mine. I still have one more part to post.
@Shelli, goals are good too. Whatever works for you.
That’s a great idea, Britt. I really need to start exercising myself.
I am fron the anti-resolution-school-of-thought myself. Mostly because I know I should be doing positive changes every day, plus I hav enough self-esteem problems that I don’t find it necessary to set myself up to fail just to have a reason (as if I need one) to want to jump off a bridge. Just sayin.’