New Year’s Resolutions

So 2013 is coming to an end very soon and it’s that awful time of the year when you’re asked by a couple of merry/intoxicated/barely conscious friends what your new year’s resolution will be. First it feels like you should answer with one of the classic magazine archetypes of ‘lose a few pounds’ or ‘follow a cheese-free diet’, which we all know is never going to happen with brie still in existence – not to mention its international friend halloumi. So then what next?

Well, I could just say my standard resolution of ‘stop biting my nails, but that’s not exactly an ongoing issue – it only occurs when I’m in a bit of a stress or some BBC wildlife show is building up to the moment a baby penguin might become prey. (Stay safe, Pingu!) But now I’m still in a pickle as I have no resolution, and thus no tweet or Facebook status, to follow the millions tweeting their own resolutions, and you know for sure that hashtag will be in full force on New Year’s Eve. And then suddenly a thought occurs, a large one, like the big bubbles attached to comic book heroes:

What if I think of things to do rather than to not do?

It sounds really simple and yet every resolution seems to involve cutting down on something or giving it up completely and yet surely it’s a lot easier to tell us to DO something. I mean there’s the idea that your willpower should aid you on your miserable adventure, but what if it was excitement and anticipation that was driving our resolutions?

For that reason, I have decided that this year my resolutions will not stop me or prevent me from doing anything; they will only be encouraging and exciting. There is the small issue of what if I do not achieve my goals and become disappointed? Well, then there’s all the more reason to ensure that they happen!

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So, for my first resolution, I would say a good one would be to ‘stop comparing myself to others’. But this is only reminding me of my own failures and focuses the attention on others and so instead I’ve decided to say:

For my second resolution, I ideally want to stay as fit and healthy as I feel now and yet I’m not going to give up the Sensations Sweet Chill crisps and so I’d usually say: ‘Cut out the junk food and don’t stop squatting!’ But as you’ve noticed this a chocolate-covered breakdown waiting to happen and so once again I’ve rephrased it to:

This allows me to look forward to my weekly big treat, I’m talking a big curry or night out with a few cheeky cocktails and encourages meals involving colourful vegetables and lacking food of the beige variety.

For my final resolution I don’t need to flip around the saying as it quite easily fits with this pattern and it is:

Having been away for the last year at university, it’s been difficult having to miss lots of birthdays, gatherings and generally juggling visits with old friends and new ones. So for 2014 I want to ensure that I do manage to catch up with old friends and visit new friends made this year. Having thought about keeping in contact with friends quite a lot recently, I have also thought about deleting Facebook to see if this means friendships are kept stronger with having to message friends directly and arrange meetings.

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Although it may be just another year and another round of resolutions, I have never felt more eager to carry out my resolutions after having such a life-changing 2013: I’ve made so many changes to my fitness and actually enjoy the gym (especially with all my hilarious gym buddies and routines over Summer – thank you everyone!), made so many wonderful friends this 2013 and, finally, moved home to the wonderful bunch of friends I have grown up with. I have no doubt that 2014 will be yet again eventful and I am eager to see if it can follow a hardworking, lively and fast-moving 2013!

Hope you all have a smashing New Year!

With love,

Daisy

Tags: change dieting friends goals Joy NYE resolution

Categories: a little piece of joy