New Years Resolutions Stink

I think new years resolutions are stupid. We spend all year, or more likely, all of our lives, eating too much, not exercising, being mean to our siblings, not reading enough, spending too much money, smoking, drinking, having casual sex, whatever, and then suddenly, and usually very passionately, we proclaim that we will make that life change, and oh yeah, I’ll start in the morning. We then wake up with a hangover, having broken 10-15 of our resolutions already and try to start anew.

Most people don’t change their lives that way. For most people change comes with effort, consistency and some sort of dire proclamation like, “You’ll die if you don’t lose weight,” or “You’ll die if you keep smoking.” In general, we just carry on, year after year, eating too much, smoking too much, not exercising enough, and feeling bad about having broken yet another year’s resolutions.

I think it is important to strive to be better. I think we should make goals, to try to better, to work harder to be healthier, happier, more productive humans. I guess, with the start of a new year, and the artificial cleaning of the slate, it is natural that this would be a good time to make a change. But these resolutions are not the way to do it, at least not for me. I just feel bad when I don’t succeed or when I don’t achieve immediate results.

Instead of New Years resolutions, how about life resolutions? If I could be the person I want to be, I would resolve to:

1. Find a job that I love and makes my life better.
2. Lose 30 pounds and get in shape.
3. Go to bed early and wake up early everyday.
4. Read 3 books a week.
5. Be more socially responsible.
6. Recycle.
7. Spend more time with Bronwen and Dan
8. Travel the world.
9. Keep in touch with my friends, more often than monthly.
10. Start a band and play weekly.