Ah, January. The time when everyone bravely makes a super ambitious New Year’s Resolution to Lose Weight™, Get Better At Money™, and Stop Stalking Exes on Facebook™. And then, before the Ides of February, quietly shelving said resolution and wallowing in nihilistic self-loathing. “Nothing ever changes, so why bother?” millions ask as they wipe Cheeto dust from their fingers to scroll through the Facebook profile of ex-boyfriend Doug Jackson and wonder how he can look so happy and fit now that he’s dating what’s-her-face.
But what if it didn’t have to be that way? What if you could make a New Year’s Resolution and actually keep it?
According to Kitty, I am the only person in America who ever completes a New Year’s Resolution. I therefore consider myself a bit of an authority on the topic.
For the past five years, I have made a New Year’s Resolution. And every single year, I have succeeded at my resolution. Here’s a quick tally:
| 2013 | Read a book a week (52 in all) |
| 2014 | Run a 5k comfortably by the end of the year |
| 2015 | Write 100,000 words by the end of the year |
| 2016 | Save $10,000 by the end of the year |
| 2017 | Do a good deed every week (52 in all) |
Every one of these goals was made in the spirit of self-improvement and creating a life I love. They were rewarding, challenging, fun, and empowering. I am #livingmytruth and a dozen other inane platitudes AND SO CAN YOU!
Below, I’ll use each of my goals from the past five years as an example of effective New Year’s Resolutioning. Buckle up.