I don’t believe in resolutions, especially of the New Years variety. I have never made resolutions, and I don’t really want to start now. It seems that if you’re trying to improve your life or yourself, it is counterproductive to obligate yourself to tasks and limitations that you never really had the motivation to do in the first place.
Resolutions probably work well for people with Type-A personalities–ambitious and determined people who aren’t happy unless they have acheived something. That’s certainly not me. I am a dreamer. A quiet, mellow person without much ambition or determination. I like to do quiet, simple things. I very rarely feel a need to finish things or accomplish some pre-determined end. I avoid competitions that stress the win over the game. I prefer to have fun playing, being part of a group; winning doesn’t mean anything to me.
However, there is something to be said for accomplishing goals and improving yourself and your life. I could never set myself to any specific benchmark task–my mind rebels at the very notion, and I am doomed to fail (which is why I lost no weight during my gym’s Biggest Loser contest in November–in fact, I gained).
Instead of “resolutions”, I can give myself goals–broad, conceptual goals in which I have my entire life to acheive. I can begin new habits, new ways of thinking. It took me all week to figure out what I wanted and how I wanted to do it.
Instead of resolving to be a “more productive artist/writer, making X number of paintings or pages a day” or “go to the gym every other day and lose 50 pounds” or “pay off my credit cards”, I will instead aspire to
- develop a practical art and writing practice that will encourage me to produce work without the need of self-flagellation.
- to take better care of myself, emotionally and physically, so that I can lead a comfortable life regardless of my material circumstances.
- to accept my life and myself without regret or incrimination–to merge myself into the flow of the Universe, and let what will be, be.
Instead of New Years resolutions, these are my life goals, and I know I can add or take from this list whenever I need to. I will not let my life be dictated by a faceless list of obligations.
Lessons Learned 
Makes perfect sense to me. I am on your plan too!
Happy New Year!
Very nice, very well said, and beautifully put. 🙂
Very nice, very well said, and beautifully put. 🙂
Wonderful!
Wonderful!
But are these broad goals no more of resolutions than “I will lose weight” and “I will be a better person”?
I am soooo proud of your un-resolution! Go Rachel!
Oh and you’ve been tagged again 🙂
I am soooo proud of your un-resolution! Go Rachel!
Oh and you’ve been tagged again 🙂
So many people decide not to make resolutions (myself included). How come then, all you hear about at new years is making resolutions? No one actually does it, do they?
way to make the rest of us look bad with our crappy resolutions.
i kid.
last year, i lasted 4 months into my “no more shoes for a year” resolution. i was a damn fool to try. never make THAT mistake again. pretty pretty shoes.
That’s why I made my resolution single and simple – enjoy my year. I’d be hard pressed not to acomplish that.
franki; is this the begining of that cult following I’ve always dreamed of?
jen; thank you, sis!
woozie; I suppose so, in a way, youre right. But in my mind “resolutions” are nothing but items on some big TO-DO list with deadlines. I hate to-do lists, and I hate deadlines. which makes me disinclined to do anything on that list, so it defeats the purpose of having a list in the first place. But if I dont make a to-do list, I cant have been a failure for not completing the items on the list. Thats why these “goals” are not resolutions; they are objectives, not actions that must be done. IN focusing on my objectives I can pursue the necessary actions under my OWN terms, not that of some faceless list. Does that make sense?
dawn; whoo! thanks! welcome back.
jazz, I hear a lot of people talking about resolutions but I never actually see anyone following through. Thats part of the reason why I disdain resolutions in the first place. Its as if people make them only to acknowledge that there is something about them that could and should change, but that they dont WANT to, but at least they can say they “tried”.
kara: lol. addictions are the first to fall in any resolution. and besides, why would you want to resolve against SHOES?! I mean, shoes!
CS; thats a good resolution!
There’s more to life than being. Acting is pleasure.
There’s more to life than being. Acting is pleasure.
i’m not a resolution kinda gal either… although last year a made a list of like 45 things i wanted to try to accomplish or at least work on in 2007. i did or worked in about half… not too bad, i guess.
this year… i’m just praying it’s better than 2007. which shouldn’t be too difficult, i hope, considering 2007 was shittier than i ever imagined shitty could get.
haha… on that note… HAPPY 2008!
Yeah, I’m with you on the resolutions, especially as they always seem to be about not doing stuff rather than doing stuff. So I tend to have a list of goals for the year – things I want to do, but with no huge pressure. I think as long as we are refelctive creatures who learn from our mistakes, then how we start the New Year is pretty irrelevant.
Puss