I Resolve To ...

It’s here again—the New Year—2010! Doesn’t that sound large? By the time you are reading this you have probably heard Happy New Year a gazillion times. Perhaps you celebrated the New Year with your friends, family or significant other. I read somewhere that your first visitor on New Year’s Day will bring you good or bad luck for the rest of the year. It’s said to be particularly lucky if that visitor happens to be a tall dark-haired man. I can live with that.

By now you’ve probably recovered from New Year’s Eve, devoured all the right good-luck foods on New Year’s Day and maybe even joined a new gym.

You are probably breathing a sigh of relief that 2009 has come and gone and already singing the praises of 2010, and why not? Better to be positive than negative, right? Better that you made it to 2010. Lots of people weren’t so lucky, you know.

The real problem here, it seems to me, is a mind-set assuming a new date on the calendar will turn around anything bad that happened in the past year, as though the New Year automatically signifies a change in your situation.

Did you eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day? You think that’s going to ensure you get lucky in 2010?

Some people believe that anything in the shape of a ring brings good luck; "coming full circle," as they say. OK, I will take a ring, a doughnut, a bracelet, a necklace, a CD—heck, throw me a hula hoop! Getting lucky while exercising, after eating a doughnut and singing my favorite tune—what could be better?

I guess that taking steps to bring a little luck, or making resolutions, are part of planning for great things, right? Bottom line: last year is over. Let’s get on to the new and better year ahead.

"Auld Lang Syne"—do you know what that means? "Old long ago," or "the good old days." Why did you sing this at New Year’s? Ever really thought about it? Were you singing in hopes of burying last year and looking for the better, improved year? If so, why sing a tribute to the good old days?

Did you make resolutions last year? And more to the point, did you make them happen? Did you lose weight? Exercise daily? Rid yourself of old, bad habits? Stop smoking? Did you finish all those projects you swore you would finally get to? Did you fulfill the promises you made to yourself? Can you look in the mirror and resolve to do better? What do you resolve to do for 2010?

As for your love life—did you find a new love, or lose a loved one? What are you going to do differently to help you find or enjoy a special someone this year? Take a look back and think about what you wish you had done differently. I know I made a few mistakes. Hey, we all do, so don’t beat yourself up. Recognize and resolve to do better. Maybe you should keep a journal or diary to jot down your thoughts, or ideas that need addressing.

Maybe you discovered that all this "dating and looking for love" is just one big pain. It’s hard work to sustain a relationship or at least it seems that way for some of us! Resolve to "fix" a broken relationship or one that needs mending. You can always do better, but only if you put some effort into it. Determine what you want and go for it. Discover what makes you happy and work toward that.

You can officially clean the old slate now; it’s a new year, and time to start anew!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!