New Year, New Way of Thinking

I’ve been thinking about New Year’s Resolutions this week. Making them is ingrained in us, isn’t it? New year, new leaf, fresh start and all that. This year will be different! Everything is new and shiny!

Okay, confession: I only made a couple of vague resolutions. You know, “I’ll finish that online course I started, cough, cough, last year” ones.

So many people swear they’re going to change, to start doing the good for you stuff. Go to the gym. Eat healthier. And writers? This is the year you’re finally going to finish that, fill in the blank. Novel screenplay, memoir. You hear echoes of “work hard” and “sacrifice” and, if you really want it…

Why do our expressions for going after what we want to pursue—our goals, for heaven’s sake—come across as something negative? Why do we make them about things we clearly don’t want to do?

And what happens? Here we are, barely three weeks into January and mine are already headed for that big dump station in the sky.  

Then I stumbled across a post by Jennifer Crusie.

Jenny is a fantastic teacher. I met her several years ago when she taught a masterclass at the beach. I think my head exploded, I learned so much that week. So, when she says something, I tend to listen and think about it.

Her proposal is instead of choosing tasks that you know you aren’t going to carry through, focus on what makes you happy. Won’t that be a better way to appreciate the good things in life? 

I’ve been thinking about happiness this week (instead of that class I’m not listening to). What makes me happy?

I love to travel, so I took advantage of Alaska Air’s sale and booked a few flights. And art. I’ve been playing with my kiln and fused glass for a while, but those pencils and watercolors are calling. There’s a shiny new book I want to write and this may be the year to screw up my courage and tackle the book that nearly made me quit writing.

So, what about you? How are your resolutions going? Did you make any?

Or would you rather jump on board my Happiness Train?

Image courtesy of Gross National Happiness USA organization. Find them here.