NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS SUCK

Did that get your attention?

Ah, the hype of a new year. The idea of a fresh start and a clean slate. It’s a wonderful idea as long as we don’t do what every typical American does lately. Take a good thing and kill it.

The temptation do overindulge ourselves with new resolutions are as bad as overindulging in sweets around the holidays. Excited about the idea of starting over, we rush headlong into promises of writing every day, spending more time with our children, hitting the gym, and starting the diet.

I sound cranky, don’t I?

Not at all. I have done this myself on many occasions, and I personally think it’s a wonderful time to get in touch with our goals, and what we want to accomplish in the new year. A good time to look back and see what missteps or regrets we have embarked on. Our intentions are good but we must take care not to fill our calendars with too many goals so if we do not achieve them, we completely give up.

So, in the cliché spirit of resolutions, here are mine and the date they will start:

1. 1.       Lose weight and go to gym. Target date: March 1st.

Ah, yes. Not 1/1 or 1/3. Not 1/15 or even 2/1. As my waistline expands and I keep driving uselessly past the gym instead of pulling into the parking lot, I realize I must deal in reality. I hate winter. I crave warm blankets, baked ziti, wine and DVD’s. It is not the most realistic time to embark on wanting to be skinny. I will lose my 10-15 pounds of winter weight because if I don’t, I will need to avoid the pool and beach this summer. But I will begin in March, when Spring and the new season of fashion is peeking around the corner. When the consequences of being fat is right there in front of me instead of far off in a blurry future. Until then, I am finishing the leftover candy, eating during the new season of the Biggest Loser, and finishing all the alcohol until Spring. Leave me alone.

 2.       Write more. Target Date: February 1^st. Goal: Complete my new book by the time RWA conference arrives.

This is a reasonable goal with all my multi-tasking. I am still recovering from Nanowrimo! I am on chapter 3 of the new book – that gives me a few months to finish and have a great book to pitch or market for the conference. Marketing and promotion and editing do not count in my resolutions – it is part of the day to day and I am not going to mess with it.  Why did I start in Feb instead of Jan? I received a brand new Kindle for Christmas, downloaded at least 8 books, and refuse to write seriously or put pressure on myself until I finish them. The series of the Hunger Games. The series of Girl with a Dragon Tattoo. And Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ new book due out 1/18. And of course, all my fantastic, fabulous authors from the Hudson Valley RWA chapter, who publish in young adult, erotic, medical, contemporary, historical, paranormal, etc, etc. Lots of downloads to complete!

 3.       Quality time with the kids: target date February 1^st.  

Let’s round up my very formulaic list. Why next month? Because it is their birthdays and I will be enjoying watching them get excited over the dreaded Chucke Cheese party, and going to Build a Bear, and admitting to myself I now have a 4 and 6 years old, which seems so much older than 3 and 5. I try to enjoy all the time with my children but as soon as I sit at the computer to do work, one of them needs juice, or a dvd, or to wipe their butt, or see what they colored, or just to bug me. That’s ok, but I need to separate more “This is our fun time” and “This is mommy’s work time.”  Then we will both be happier and more balanced.

 OK, stop laughing.  No one said I couldn’t try?

 Resolutions should be about trying new things, getting healthier, and being happier. Let’s not stress ourselves out by putting too much on our plate and have some fun this year.