So, a few of my friends on Facebook are posting asking if anyone has started thinking of New Year’s Resolutions yet. The simple answer, Hell no. I’m not much of a resolutions person anyway. One sure way to make sure that I don’t achieve a goal is to make it ‘off limits’ to myself. That may work for some people but I’m not that woman. If I tell myself I can’t have chocolate, that’s all I want. If I tell myself no caffeine all I can think about is how a caffeinated beverage would perk me up. I’ve never bothered telling myself no alcohol, because...well...why? I mean really. Also, New Year’s Resolutions are really sort of arbitrary too, if you think about it. You pick the first day of the year to start or stop a habit. How is that any different from making that same decision on March 12, June 24, or September 2? It isn’t. Exactly my point.
I also saw a couple of blogs today. One was a guest blog on Amber LaShell Rants (congrats for winning NaNoWriMo) and she guest posted on another person’s blog. 20 something bloggers called it a blog swap. It was cool. Anyway, the topic they were given to write about was Action. What will you do in the new year that needs to be done, that you have been meaning to do.
This is sort of a copycat blog but not really because it’s another of those fuzzy universe signals. The ones that sound like really bad AM radio, back before all the tuners were digital. Those blogs inspired me and the question they posed has been in the back of my mind all evening. ‘What will you do in the new year?” I have a feeling that 2011 is going to be a year of big changes in my life. Big and really positive changes. I’m working on learning to be authentic and developing a ‘fuck ‘em if they can’t take a joke’ mentality. I am going to learn what it is like to be me. Because being me isn’t a bad thing even if most people don’t really ‘get me’. I can live with that. Heck, I’ve been living with that for most of my teenage and adult life. I’ll keep you all posted on other changes that may be coming.
What action will you take in the new year?
I have based my life on the Fuck Em If They Can't Take A Joke mentality and it's worked pretty well for me. You'll be happy with it if you can stick with it.
ReplyDeleteThe action I will take in the new year is to buy a new house. Along with the Lady Friend of course.. that just means I have to convince her to sell hers first!
SD
simpledudecomplexworld.blogspot.com
wow, thanks for the shoutout! I didn't pick the topic, and i would have picked something totally better :)
ReplyDeleteI'm with you about resolutions... why on the first of the year? shouldn't we be living a bit more mindfully year round? It seems like a very "American" concept to me :)
ReplyDeleteI'm going to continue to try my best to get more sleep, as I have been doing for several months now!
great post!
ReplyDeletei resolve to do nothing different than i have done in the past unless i feel like doing something different in the future...
aw fuck-it...
the more i change the more i stay the same...
Bruce
bruce johnson jadip
And
evilbruce
stupid stuff i see and hear
and
The guy book
the guy book
I aint changing shit in the new year. I gave up on those silly things a couple of decades ago.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you. A lot of big changes are happening for me in 2011. I suppose I should stop dreading it and take it on as something positive.
ReplyDeleteYour "eff them" resolution sounds like a good one. Personally I never make New Year's resolutions. However, setting general goals is still a good practice.
ReplyDeleteBruce and Oilfield, you guys crack me up!
http://rantersbox.blogspot.com
@SD - Great point about IF you can stick to it. Well taken by me. When you are a people pleaser by nature it's hard to find yourself and not really care if others like you or not.
ReplyDeleteAmber - if I'd been thinking properly I would have hot linked your name. I'll do that this morning. It was late and I was tired....*grin*
Meri - indeed we should, I think in America we tend to allow ourselves to slip into excess more toward the end of the year. Then when the new year rolls around everyone is so tired of being hungover and feeling like ass they are eagerly embracing a break from it.
Bruce, I love you and your evil twin so much that I would be seriously bummed if you changed anything. So I suppose your new year action can be actively not changing. *love*
Oilfield - Well said indeed. I gave up on resolutions myself a while back. This is more of a general goal and direction for me. Not like at the stroke of midnight everyone's Cinderella is going to turn into one of the wicked step-sisters or anything.
Lettucehead - change is hard and it's scary. But it isn't always bad. I'm always here for you if you want an ear to listen sweets.
Empress - yes, general goals is what I'm after. I think I'll start with the things that seem simple enough, not volunteering for things I don't want to do (I'm a compulsive volunteerer - every PTA meeting my husband threatens to put a bungee cord around my arms to keep me from raising my hand and saying "I'll do it!") and saying 'no' to activities that don't enrich my life.
Wise words. Forget that New Year resolution crap.
ReplyDeleteI gave up the fake "Mr. Nice-Guy" routine recently & I can safely say I don't regret it. Mind you, I'm not an asshole now, though, just myself.
Thanks Vinnie. I tried to leave you a comment at your place but it wouldn't work so check your email. *hugs*
ReplyDeleteSemi...I have always lived with the "fuck-em" outlook on life. It's pretty damn good too. Weeds out the phonies if anything. I don't make resolutions. Maybe I will give up watching tv shows with commercials. Oh wait, that would mean I'd have only 2 channels to follow. Oh no that won't work....hahaha. Great post.
ReplyDeleteBarb, that's what DVRs are for. I hate watching commercials, so live TV irritates me now. I'm so spoiled!
ReplyDeleteTory... My motto is "stop the madness" (award coming soon to my blog near you!). I don't need anyone else's drama in my life, and I won't let it upset me anymore. Life is too short for that nonsense.
http://talkativetaurus.blogspot.com/
My resolutions will be to drink more, become fat and read as little as possible. Seriously on that last one. I may even take people in the car with me so I don't even have to read street signs.
ReplyDeleteKara
visions unto myself
I am going to practice balancing patience with perseverance!
ReplyDeletegood luck with the 'fuck them' attitude. it can take a long time to get there, but once you get there you worry a lot less about stupid crap <3
ReplyDeleteOkay, I have to tell you what a monumental dork I am. I was reading over this post again and realized that I failed to properly paste my first paragraph in there. The title and picture would have made much more sense. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteBarb - my hat is off to you. I'm a people pleaser by nature so I tend to be whoever I think the collective 'they' want me to be in any given situation. But I'm working on it.
Krissy - I'm so spoiled too when it comes to TV. I very rarely actually watch my favorite shows in the time slot they air simply because I want to ffwd through the adverts. Sometimes when I actually do watch them at the proper time I'll find myself grabbing the remote trying to fast forward to no avail.
Kara - *love* your resolutions! I have to agree a good navigator is imperative.
Wow Juniper, that's a tall order and great things to practice. Not sure how successful I would be at it. All the best to you in your efforts.
Steph! Honey bun! So good to see you in my comments! I know it isn't something that I can wake up one day and have, but I think the first step is determining the direction I want to go. We are the architects of our future. And I can't wait to worry less about the stupid crap.
I do the same thing! I mean, grabbing the remote to try to ffwd when it's live TV...
ReplyDeleteI'm the exact same way: if you want me to do something, just tell me I can't. I stopped making resolutions a couple years ago because I just found them to be pointless. I do have something that I am working on getting done in January 2011 and that's finding an agent. Wish me luck!
ReplyDeletea bitch called mom
the well fed spirit
It's taken me my whole life to become the person I am today and to be honest, I'm reasonably happy with me...so for 2011...I'll blog more, play more Xbox and maybe gain 10 pounds...those are resolutions I can stick with :-)
ReplyDeleteI like your style, hope you don't mind if I stalk...er I mean follow you :-)
Love this background.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any New Year's resolutions (yet...maybe I'll cave). Usually I'm just setting myself up for failure, anyway. My plan of action is to keep signing myself up for stuff I probably can't do and then trying my best to do it. I'm type A enough to want to do well and type B enough to be able to take satisfaction in just keeping my dead ass off the couch.
What's your email ;)
ReplyDeleteDad, you're welcome to stalk....er...uh...follow me. Makes me happy!!
ReplyDeleteKate, I really liked it when I found it too. It isn't exactly seasonal, but what the hell, right? I think you and I are very similar, I'm type A enough that I want to be good at the stuff I do but B enough that I realize some things I'm either not good at or don't care enough about. LOL
Lettucehead - semitruestoryteller@gmail.com
Semi,
ReplyDeleteVery good goal. Everyone should strive to be themselves. When you look at the devil on your shoulder and the angel on the other, be aware that you are the one who is aware of both actions and choices. You don't think logically one day and emotional the other - you are the one who hears all the voices and decides. It is easy to go with the crowd. Self-actualize and be yourself. Nice post.
Draven Ames
http://dravenames.blogspot.com/
nothing has changed...
ReplyDeleteexcept i think 2011 will be great!
and i gave you and award...stop by and pick it up if you want to...
Bruce
bruce johnson jadip
evilbruce
stupid stuff i see and hear
Bruce’s guy book
the guy book