New Year's Resolutions

Spencer is back. You know what I hate...New Year’s resolutions. We are now into the middle of January and my assumption is that most people’s goals for year are either gone or on their way out. I know, sad but true. Of course I write this after I have made several of my own and am actually somewhat excited about a few new lifestyle changes. What I don’t like about these resolutions is that they are actually for people who do not need them. What I mean is that the only one’s who seem to make and then accomplish their resolutions are goal oriented, self motivated people who simply get things done.

People like Lance Armstrong who after battling testicular cancer vowed that he would make a comeback in professional cycling and then proceeded to obtain 7 Tour de France victories, great resolution Lance, way to make us all look bad.

Then there is Bethany Hamilton, that girl who sits triumphantly upon her surfboard in the middle of the ocean. The interesting part of the story is that she is missing one of her arms because a shark ate it for lunch and she vowed that she would return to surfing. I wonder how many times she said she would go to the gym at the beginning of the year and than quit after that all but difficult third workout...you’re right, never.

And then there is Tiger Woods, who won the U.S. Open with a torn acl and then after a year off of golf due to knee surgery returned triumphantly to professional golf. Oh wait, bad example his new year’s resolution for that year wasn’t to return back to golf and win again he vowed to hide his obviously monumentous obsession with skanky white strippers from his far from ugly wife. I guess professional athletes have a tough time with resolutions after all.

For the rest of us sorry saps we tend to set these extremely lofty goals at the beginning of a new year and then slowly watch our much anticipated plans slip into laziness and procrastination. I make goals at the beginning of every new year and I can not think of one that I actually followed through with for an entire year. I have realized that i’m tired of New Year’s resolutions for one simple reason...they don’t work. If you want to do something do it now. From now on I don’t want to hear what you are GOING to do or what you WILL do I want to hear about what you are actually DOING. I stand along side my friends at the Nike corporation who simply proclaim to the world to “Just Do It.” How many times have we uttered this sentence...I’m going to start doing (fill in the blank) next week or when (fill in the blank) happens I am going to do (fill in the blank). How about you start now, don’t wait just do it now. For me New Year’s resolutions are simply a laundry list of things that I have wanted to change all year and because the calendar now says 2010 rather than 2009 these resolutions are suddenly going to highly motivate me to do all of these things that seemed to be so difficult to accomplish for the last 365 days. Guess what, after the champagne is popped and the ball has fallen January 1st is the exact same day as December 31st which is also believe it or not the exact same day as August 14th. If you’re a resolution person and that works for you great, but for the other 95% of us, stop waiting for a reason to do something, instead just do it.

I also want to take this time to assure everyone that I am not a bitter person and I feel that there are many readers who can relate to my semi rants. Plus remember if you don’t like what I have to say, stop reading.

Happy New Year

(I, Rachel, posted this picture. He's so photogenic!)