New Year’s Resolutions

I am not sure who started the tradition of setting a resolution at the beginning of each new year, but I honestly love it. I think there are a lot of people out there who are starting to really frown at NYR’s because year after year, most people set the same goals, like “This year I want to lose 50 lbs.” or “This year I am going to quit smoking” January usually starts out great. You join weight watchers or go to the gym everyday. You throw out your cigarettes and promise never to buy another pack. But then life gets busy and we fall into our old routines. It’s natural. Sure, we get disappointed in ourselves, but the momentum we felt on January 1st is fading.

I have heard some people say that there’s no point in setting a resolution anymore. Maybe that’s because they are tired of being disappointed in themselves over and over again. Perhaps setting a new resolution only reminds them of what they failed to achieve the year before. I can certainly relate to that. However, this year, I am setting some goals for myself. I am not going to let my past failures ruin my future. The way I see it, even if I can take small steps towards becoming the person I want to be, it’s worth it. I love that New Year’s gives you a sense of rebirth. A clean slate. A chance to try again, no matter how many times you’ve tried to lose weight and failed.

George and I have set one goal together as a couple and that’s to make a combined income of $100,000 this year. It is going to be a challenge, but it’s definitely within our reach. We decided that once we reach $100,000 in 2008, we will set something higher for 2009, like maybe $200,000. It will be fun to see if we can both work hard to find some extra income this year, like EQ2 game money or ebay or the flea market.

As for me, yes, I have some of the same goals that I had last year. Losing weight, for example, is one of the top goals for me. I want to lose 50 pounds this year. That’s an average of a pound a week. I know I can do it, I just have to stop eating so much. Not like it’s a mystery :P. I also want to sell some of my writing this year. This sort of goes hand in hand with the income goal, but is a bit more personal as well. The third resolution for me is to keep the house clean. Even just a bit more organized than it is now would be good. Looking around the house right now, I am a bit embarrassed that it’s so messy. My clothes are kind of everywhere, and there are notebooks and papers scattered around. I have boxes that are still unpacked from when I moved in last summer. I would just like to be ready for anyone to stop by at any time without having to freak out about how the house looks.
The bottom line for New Year’s Resolutions is that they take action and dedication. No one is watching you or holding you to it other than yourself. It all comes down to how badly you really want those things that you promised yourself you would get. Only time will tell, but like most people who are setting goals this year, I have motiviation right now and I am going to make the most of it. In fact, I am going to start right now on the cleaning…