It’s 2017, and I have resolved to do some things and stop doing others. Not because I put any kind of stock in “new year, new me” mantras, but because it’s the first day of a new planner and with a brand new, unblemished planner, anything is possible.
Which brings me to my first resolution: I will continually use the pretty planner I spent too much money on, and I will remain, at least in that one area of my life, organized. Organization will never come for my closet or drawers, but I can at least handle daily to-do lists.
My second resolution is also planner-related. I will stop creating impossible to-do lists. Earlier this year my best friend listened to me vent about my feelings of failure large and small, then asked me to list the things I’d set out to accomplish that day. When I did, she said, “Kate. Nobody could do all that in a day.” She was right, of course, and it’s a conversation I’ve had to remind myself of over and over. This year I will try hard to remember it’s much easier to feel accomplished if your goals are actually accomplishable.
Third, I’ve resolved to spend more time taking care of my skin. A few years ago I bought a knockoff Clarisonic spinny face cleaning brush, and after a few weeks of using it my skin was definitely looking smoother and maybe a even little glowy, and so I promptly got lazy and threw it into one of the aforementioned drawers. But I’m now north of 25 and I find myself looking closely in the mirror like;
True, and a bit alarming. So yeah, spinny face cleaning brush it is.
Fourth: I think I read fewer books in 2016 than in any previous year. This is relative, because I still read a whole lot of books, but there were so many I meant to get to and just… didn’t. So this year I’ll read the growing pile of books on my nightstand.
Fifth, I resolve to be a better communicator. I’m guilty of letting text messages go unanswered and calls unreturned. I’m way out of the loop with some friends I’d really like to do a better job of talking to with some frequency. I’ve always known the importance of networking, but there’s so much more I could be learning from some of the people I encounter through the course of my work, and I could/should be better at keeping in touch. So this year I’ll make an effort to reach out, and to communicate more effectively, professionally and personally.
Finally, this year I resolve to write more. I definitely don’t write enough blog posts. I think I should be keeping a journal, or at least jotting down notes about the things I learn and the people I talk to every week. Writing is my one truly marketable skill, and I could be so much better at it. Practice makes perfect, right?
New Year’s resolutions are probably definitely a little cheesy, but I like them anyway. So I guess here’s to… new year, better me?