It’s 2016 and I’ve given up on making New Year’s resolutions. They never work, and I have never kept one for more than a few days. Then, of course, I’m disappointed in myself for not being able to keep any resolution I’ve ever made. This may sound cynical, but at this point it seems more productive to spend my time doing things other than making and breaking resolutions.
I don’t believe that making resolutions makes me more productive. I still can’t do a set of push-ups, I still don’t read as much as I should, and I still procrastinate like I’m getting paid for it.
I don’t believe that making resolutions makes me healthier. The first thing I had to drink in 2016 was the coffee my friends had pledged to give up, followed closely by the wine they wanted to cut back on.
I don’t believe that making resolutions will hold me accountable, either. I haven’t made a budget yet, my room still hasn’t been cleaned, and it took me four days to write this post.
This year, instead of making resolutions that I know I won’t keep, I think I’ll focus on things that I know will happen. I’ll focus on all the amazing things I’ll learn in school, the great experiences I’ll have with my friends, the books that I’ll read one page at a time (because who really has the energy to read for an hour before bed every night?). I’m going to focus on the blog posts that I’ll most likely write – not because I’m forcing myself to write them every week, but because I’ve found something interesting that I want to write about.
So here’s to 2016 – a year where I won’t be disappointed by the resolutions I won’t keep!
Emma — The Suburban Aggie
The Suburban Aggie 
Emma,
I can appreciate your decision to do away with resolutions. I always find the change over of the calendar year to be an awkward time. I inevitably reflect on the year and celebrate my accomplishments, then think forward to the coming year about what I want to do “better”. I ponder goals (which are basically resolutions) and think about what it is I can do to make myself a better person in the coming year. In past year’s I’ve posted these on my blog. This year I also opted not too. Partly because I’ve decided I maybe don’t need to post all my inner most thoughts online. Your decision to focus on the good things you will do suggests you’re aiming for quality over quantity and that’s always most important. Happy New Year!