It’s that time again – the dreaded New Year’s resolutions. Promises we make to ourselves with the hope that we will somehow improve our lives, ourselves, our worlds. Personally, I’ve always hated the concept that a new calender year should somehow morph us into people who we aren’t.
So, instead of resolutions, I’ve come up with a list of shall nots that I will not be doing this year:
- I shall not go on a diet or resolve to remake my body in any way designed to raise my self esteem or self worth, rather I will celebrate who I am and how I look, cellulite and all.
- I shall not quit any bad habits but rather dispose of the guilt I suffer from partaking in them.
- I shall not be more positive, happier, kinder or nicer but rather will continue to be myself – speak and express my real and genuine feelings, opinions and ideas.
- I shall not force myself to complete incomplete projects but rather savor whatever time I can spend on them and the creativity they excite.
- I shall not plan or prepare for the futher whether emotionally or financially, but rather I will live in the present building my future one moment at a time.
- I shall not get organized, catagorized or sanitized, but rather I will embrace my stacks of magazines, toppling tower of books, endless scraps of paper with notes & ideas and name the dust bunnies who live under my bed.
- I shall not eat right, cut out fat, sugar, carbs or any other foodstuff that caresses my tastebuds but rather I will enjoy my food more, savoring every morsel and thank God for my bounty.
- I shall not take stock of my life and determine all of the many things that require change and improvement but rather will accept myself for the unique and infinitely flawed human being that I am.
- I shall not get a better job with more money and benefits but rather find work that satisfies and rewards me and does not ask for my soul if I do not want to give it.
- I shall not endeavor to make a difference because I know that I already do, as do all of us, simply by being who we are.
- I shall not seek to find someone special, go on blind dates or be party to any other ploy designed to find me a mate but rather find the specialness in everyone I meet.
- But most of all, I shall not regret any mistakes, missteps or failures but rather treasure the lessons that they teach me.
That’s my list, what’s yours?
Have a happy new year, celebrate, be safe, be happy.
WC
Anita Rodgers Mystery Writer 
Happy New Year from Tejas, where the booze is expensive, the women cheap, the tea is hot, the coffee is cold, it is easier to find a Mexican plate than it is to find great bar-b-que, and finally where Texas Holdem is just liars poker with more rules.
The only New Years resolution I have kept is the one I made a long time ago. Yup, I don’t do em. I used to do em but heck the second I think about renegging I run into a mental conflict and say, “I can’t do XYZ”. So I do ABC, work my way through the alphabet and end up doing XYZ anyway. Not too mention that my beloved makes it her mission in life to insure that I keep those stupid resolutions and the fight is on. So I cut out the middle man so to speak.
Happy New Year to ya Annie.
Love ya
Squawk & BSue
Hey Squawkie & BSue!
Happy New Year from the land of nuts and twigs. 🙂
Sounds like you have the same approach as I to such things. I am attempting to rid all of the ‘can’ts’ out of my life – what purpose do they serve anyway? Change is good when it’s a natural progression toward something – but when it’s forced it’s as phoney as a tax cutting Democrat. Know what I mean?
Love ya!
Annie
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WC, you are a hoot!
Thanks 30 – apparently, it is my mission in life. 😆
WC
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Love the last one Annie 🙂
HAPPY NEW YEAR! 🙂 xx
Hey Sweet Girl,
Happy New Year to you too.
xo
Annie
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As I say on my blog, Annie, I always failed with my resolutions, so ten years ago I made one I’d keep to – not to make any 🙂
Happy New Year
Happy New Year, Tony – and I’m with you, stick with what works. 😉
A
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My last resolution was to quit setting myself up for failure and stop with them.
It’s the only one i ever kept.
There’s too much pressure involved.
If we want to start/stop/change something, we can do that any time in any way we see fit.
But when others around me tell me what they want to do, i try to support them the best i can.
What i like about your list is that it is about acceptance.
We will never be perfect. Where does that idea even come from anyway? It sucks and we always fail- it becomes a vicious cycle and companies exploit that and make money off our guilt.
My body is soft. My lungs are smoky. i could be nicer/more assertive/less passive agressive/this could go on forever, but why can’t i just be who and what i am? Being real and true, i think, is the closest to perfect i’ll ever get anyway.
Hey Chica-Chica,
ano novo feliz
I love your sentiment – being real and true – yep, that’s the idea. At least, that’s the one I’m running with. I want to get rid of all the musts and can’ts, know what I mean? Hope your new year is all you want it to be.
Chica
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Now that’s a list that we can all get behind! I, like you, do not need a calendar to tell me when it’s time to make changes in my life. No promises being made that I know I won’t keep.
Hey Mark & Happy New Year!
Exactly, this sort of ritual makes me think of ideas for the masses that politicians come up with or something. I should probably look it up and see where it all started and why, perhaps there was a good reason for it when it started. But personally, I think this particular tradition sets people up for losses more than it helps. Like my friend Christine said, you can resolve to make changes any time of the year, why do it this way?
Annie
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New Year’s resolutions are stupid. Why wait until the end of the year to improve yourself?
Precisely, my boy, precisely. 😉
WC
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I like your list. I’m stealing it. Because I don’t believe in re-inventing the wheel, and yours are all good. 😀 LOL. I’m not a resolution fan myself but again, yours are all good so those are goals I can actually work for! I’m sitting here typing this and at the same time wishing you an incredibly wonderful year in 2008, Annie. (BTW – My newsletter should be finalized in the next couple days and I’ll warn you as soon as I’ve stuck it in the mail – sorry it is not one of those things that I can just throw together really quickly but hopefully you will enjoy it).
Oh honey, you don’t have to steal it – you can have it. LOL.
I look forward to the super-secret newsletter and promise to eat it after I’ve read it. 😉
Annie
PS: I am wishing you a wonderful 2008 too. Love ya, girl!
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Stumbled ya. Loved this post so much, couldn’t help it. 😉
Cool! What does that mean? 😯
A
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I LOVE your list! Right ON, Sister. My fave: “the creativity they excite..” Happy New Month of January, “C”
Hey CC!
Happy new month to you too. I must admit, I love my list too – mostly because it doesn’t my require doing much. 😆
WC
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I LOVE THAT LIST! I shall not get sick 😉 LOL i wish!
Oooh, good one, Kaylee. We shall not get sick. A-yup.
WC
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LOL yeah, I think with my conditions I have used up the allowed amount already 😉
Hey, it’s always more fun to not be sick anyway, right? Besides, think of the money you’ll save on tissues and nyquil. 😉
WC
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This is so fantastic– thank you. My resolution is to be resolute in not making any resolutions. Besides, these anti-resolutions are so much better! Happy new year!
Hey Moonbeam & welcome – what a super cool handle!
Yes, the anti-resolutions are a whole heck of a lot more fun than the usual run-with-the-crowd-resolutions. Resolutions? We don’ need no stinkin’ resolutions. 😆
WC
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YES VERY TRUE!!!! 😛
A-yup
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Awesome list, Annie! 🙂 Every day is a new beginning…and all the resolutions in the world can’t take the place of loving ourselves and our lives, just where we’re at. Happy New Year!
Hey Gracie,
Yep, it’s a brand new year and it’s all about being happy with what we’ve got and who we are. Can I get an amen? 😉
xo
Annie
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Lord, I’m laughing. Happy New Year girlie!!!
We luv ya.
kim
😆 Happy New Year to you to honey. Luv ya!
Annie
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Hey Annie – I Stumbled ya by giving you a thumbs up in StumbleUpon. It’s a service where you join and give posts you like a “thumbs up” (or a thumbs down if you didn’t like them) or you can provide a review. It definitely can drive up a lot of traffic at your site. You’ll have to let me know if you get more than your normal amount of hits or new visitors on this post. Then we’ll know if it worked. 😉
Hey Teens, wow, cool and groovy. Sure, I’ll let you know if I get any crazy stats from it. Thanks!
Annie
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Talk about setting yourself up!
I keep my mouth shut on December 31st.
It’s always worked for me. 😉
~m
Hey Man, you gotta stick with what works, right? 😉
A
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I saw a British TV guy interviewed about New Year’s resolutions who said.
“Every year I make a New Year’s resolution not to smoke. Every year I succeed because I’ve never smoked in my life.”
I hereby pledge to stop smoking cigars in the bath… should be easy, since I never have!
It’s a good list you have there, though!
Cheers
BC
Why that is brilliant! OKay, let’s see – I hereby pledge not to drive drunk in the nude. Tada! Hey, that works. 😉
WC
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Happy New Year! 🙂
Sadly I suck at New Years resolutions, therefore, this year I propose squat. Can’t screw up squat, right…? 😉
~Michele
Hey Michele,
Happy New Year – and yes, I think squat is pretty easy to pull off. I love the anti-resolutions, they are so much more fun, doncha think? 😉
WC
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Wow, what a list!
My resolution is not to make any resolutions ;]
Red
Good move – it works for me. 😉
A
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