New Year's Resolutions, not Revolutions

In years past I would routinely make a list of New Year's resolutions on the order of losing a lot of weight, exercising every day, managing money better, losing clutter, and keeping the house spotless - all of those revolutionary changes that people think they'll do in the glow of New Year's Eve. Like everyone else, though, within days my revolutionary resolutions would be down the drain.

Finally I stopped making resolutions at all. Rather in the spirit of the change to a new year, I began thinking of January 1st as a fresh clean slate where I could do what I want in the year ahead to make my life better. Not that this has made a huge change in my life, but it has taken the pressure off, as well as the guilt when I don't live up to specific goals.

At least this year I have one accomplishment to be proud of, the fact that I'm 25 pounds slimmer than I was this time last year. I haven't been on a diet; I've changed my way of eating. Since I can't be as active as I used to be, I've turned the consumption of sweets and chips and all those really bad things that I love so much into a rare treat - like 2-3 times a year rare. In the process I've become addicted to baby carrots, but believe me there are much worse things to be addicted to.

I think my focus in 2011 might be on clutter containment. I'm the end of the line in my family so all sorts of things have come to roost in our house. I've kept too much "stuff" for the sentimental value of it so I think E-Bay is in my future and maybe, even though I hate even the thought of it, a yard sale.

Do you make New Year's resolutions? Do you keep them? How about New Year's Eve; do you go out and party or stay home? We'll be asleep at our usual time; our partying days are long gone. It's so nice to wake up New Year's Day feeling great and starting the year well rested. Besides we look silly enough without funny hats or lamp shades. :-D