Being Resolute with Resolutions

cHaPtEr 6 oF 366

Alright, I’ll get right to it: New Year’s Resolutions are absolute horse shit--for the non-resolute. It’s super easy to get complacent when it's always cold, the sun goes down at 5, and both Netflix and your bed are calling your name. Also, most of us are broke or close to broke. And we have two friends. And everyone is too lazy to make plans.

Admittedly, I make resolutions every year, and I usually break them by mid-January. Last year was different, and I made it a point of nailing all four of them. I'm hoping for a repeat, only this time I've upped the ante to five. What are they?

1. Get a booty by Halloween

Boy oh boy, I've never had a butt I can say I am proud of, but I've just about had it--2020 is the year of the butt. And it's the year I want to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader for Halloween... hey, goals are goals.

2. Get my driver's license before Thanksgiving

To be quite honest, I drive enough to know I can drive, but I'm sick of doing it under the safety of night. It's time to get myself on the road in daylight. I refuse to go through another holiday with relatives (and friends) who give me crap for not having my license by now.

3. Finish my book, Everlasting by the end of the year

I started this book when I was in my junior year of high school, and I know it has potential. I even brought a couple of chapters to a publishing house, and I was told to keep going. Did I? No. Will I? Hell yeah. Even if it's never published, I want to know I can write a full work of fiction and call it mine.

4. Run another half marathon (or marathon) before November 1st

November 1st is the day of the NYC Marathon. I ran the women's half last year with a few months prep, but my brain is feening for another one (and greater distance). And hell, if I get into the marathon, then I'll do that. But since it isn't a guarantee, I will make sure to at least do a half.

5. Get my first apartment by the end of October

I told myself I'd have money saved plus be working comfortably in my full-time to afford my Brooklyn apartment by the end of 2020. My house, my rules.

Notice how everything has a due date? If you're thinking, "Ah nice, good luck to her," and, "Cool, I should make resolutions myself," then you probably should make your own resolutions. But before making them, it's important to do so with a resolute attitude. This isn't a play on words! It means being "purposeful, determined, and unwavering." Every resolution I have is purposeful.

1 is physical and mental. Do I believe having a bigger butt will look better in pictures and also make me happier? Heck ya.

2 is significant in achieving independence.

3 is an emotional goal. I know I will feel pride in the finished work, and I'll also feel a sense of achievement.

4 is both physical and for a sense of achievement.

5 is the most significant in attaining my independence.

Set resolutions (or goals in general) that are going to fulfill a purpose in your life! And that doesn't just mean the physical kind (like going to the gym every day without even having access to one), but the kind that will help you in the short and long-term.

Resolutions are not meant to be achieved overnight. They are intended to be achieved over the course of the year, or at least before the next one. Resolutions are not meant to punish you. They are intended to help you, to fulfill you, to make you feel like a better person. Resolutions are not meant to make you unhappy. They are * refer to the sentence before the previous one. *

Five months ago, I wrote, "Challenge yourself. Make time in your day for your goals, and document them. Tell others in order to hold yourself accountable. Celebrate the milestones. Make a goal for yourself that’s SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely." Read: https://thefallfromgrace.wixsite.com/blog/post/holistic-health-a-change-in-your-lifestyle

Happy New Year!