New Year's Resolutions

New Year's is a time for starting over, a time of reflection. The slate is somewhat clean. The whole year stretches out before you. It is a good time to add new things to your life, remove old things, or just keep things the same. The point is, you can choose which direction you want your life to go in.

The problem with choosing what you want is that there are so many things that make life what it is that are so far beyond your control that can so quickly derail our lofty goals. Some New Year’s resolutions are completely unattainable on your own. Resolutions like “Be less stressed” or “Be a better person” are some of these types of practically-unattainable goals. Other resolutions seem easy on the outside, but are, in fact, horribly difficult—“Write a novel” or “Quit smoking/drinking/etc.”

Less difficult are resolutions over which you have complete control. Resolutions like “Eat healthier,” “Exercise more,” or “Spend more time with my kid(s)” are those that, with a little extra planning or scheduling are very doable. Two of my resolutions are “Read more,” and “Write 250,000 words” (Check back during the year to see the bar to the right rise). Both of these are very doable—if a bit difficult—even in the hectic life of a writer mom. But, what things in life worth doing/having have not had a measure of difficulty to them?

We are told to don’t sweat the small stuff, but I contend that it is the small, every-day stuff—more than the large things that we are supposed to sweat—that make life what it is. When our New Year’s resolutions revolve around the small stuff, we will become less discouraged and be able to feel better at the end of the year.