I don’t like New Year resolutions

butterfly

As the title says, I don’t like New Year resolutions. I don’t like any resolutions. I’m not in the habit of making promises either. I don’t make promises because I’m not sure I’m going to keep them. What I prefer to do is say nothing, resolve secretly – allowing room for backing off – and only say yes when I’ve already succeeded. I don’t like to raise hopes, I don’t like to disappoint.  Not even myself.

The blogosphere has been changing its timbre for the Christmas and New Year period. Serious educational posts have given way to reflective, stocktaking and thanksgiving ones; posts summing up 2008 and looking ahead to 2009.

I started thinking… if I were to consider new year resolutions, what would they be?

There’s no reason for my resolutions to be any different to anyone else’s – after all, we have the same needs and aspirations. If I ever did make resolutions – and I’m not saying I will – they might be the following:

1.  Act my age – Since I’m turning 50 this year I’m thinking more about mortality. Not meaning to sound morbid, but we don’t live forever. Time is becoming precious and it would be reckless of me not to notice my downhill inclination. I need to make a conscious decision to stay healthy. Even as I say this I know that exercise will not be on my agenda, but a little self control wouldn’t go astray in looking after my body; it doesn’t seem as invincible as it used to be.

2.  Community – I’ve always been an introverted person, happy with my own company and a few close others. Maybe it takes me that long to charge, to figure out who I am and what I want from life. Now is the time to connect, appreciate what others have to offer, give something back.

3.  Creativity – I’m ready to be more creative, to realise how creativity is a life-force I can’t live without (without sounding too dramatic). Creativity can be expressed in many different ways, all of them worthwhile.

4.  Letting go of old fears – There’s nothing to fear but fear itself. One by one I hope to let go of fears that paralyse. The fear of making mistakes, of looking stupid, of being different, of being rejected, of not being good enough, of the unknown. What a waste of time.

5.  Time is precious – that means learning to say no, not wasting time moping, being lazy, procrasting, following an unthinking routine. It means appreciating what is good, people who matter, enriching experiences. Not taking things for granted, saying thankyou, saying sorry, organising people events.

Only a little more than half a year ago did I start this blog, then gradually make  connections with people around the world online through blog reading and commenting, through Twitter and PLNs. Thankyou to everyone for enriching my life, for conversations, advice and help, humour, and making me realise that we have so much in common wherever we are. I wish everyone and their families a blessed new year, and look forward to our conversations in 2009.

Think about what you wish for – you might get it.

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also – Luke 12:34.

6 thoughts on “I don’t like New Year resolutions”

  1. Hi Tania,
    I appreciate your honest, sincere reflections. Your introversion has become extroversion in this new medium, and we are all richer for it who explore this blogging genre.

  2. Hey there miss – I love it – all of them ring true with me to some extent in some form as I am sure they do with others as well…. thanks for your putting your thoughts and opinions out there in your blog I have always enjoyed what you write… cheers for the new year! Dawn

  3. Hi Tania 🙂

    I generally find that new year’s resolutions serve only to make me feel like crap when I fail to adhere to them, but persist in making them anyway in the vain hope that perhaps something will stick, lol. Yours are good, though!

    You’ll never get me to join facebook but I do have a blog 😛

  4. I’ll tell you why I’m hoping you’ll get Facebook – not to bear your soul, not to put up every little banal detail about yourself, but in order to have different degrees of communication: quick info from status, a couple of phrases on the Wall, private email on message. Still, I’ll settle for the blog. Btw, I meant it when I said I hate resolutions. Why kid yourself?

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