Honest New Year’s Resolutions
You might already now that ‘goals‘ aren’t at all what I am about, so I usually don’t make new year’s resolutions. What’s the point of resolutions when I know I won’t keep them? For this year, I thought I’d give it another try and honestly think about next year…
Me trying to look out thoughtfully into the distance.
1. Only do the things I like. (Unless I have to help a loved one or get tons of money for it)
2. Quit smoking.2. Not quit smoking. Maybe smoke a little less. At least use an electric cigarette when I’m sick.
3. Have an actual art show, even if it’s just a tiny one.
4. Find out what I wanna do with my life.
4. Get a clearer picture of what I wanna do with my life.
5. Get over my fucking anxieties. Or at least, learn to manage them better.
6. Maybe move to some other place for some time. Find out if I’m unhappy or if the city I live in makes me unhappy.
7. Stop giving a fuck.
7. Stop giving a fuck (even more than 2017).
9. Keep making art and designing t-shirts. Maybe sell them at a local design market.
10. Go to the gym more often. If I have time. As long as there’s nothing better to do, maybe.
11. Use social media less. Focus on who is physically in my life.
12. Still use social media to keep in contact with friends living abroad.
13. Start being on time for work. Or better yet, figure out ways for my boss not to realize how late I actually am.
14. Give up on my new year’s resolutions because they imply I don’t already try to be a better person.
15. Have fun. Have sex. Enjoy life. Stop worrying.
(16. Still make enough money not to get evicted.)
A question to all fellow Trainwrecks: Do you believe in the usefulness of resolutions? And if you had to summarize everything you want to achieve in 2018 in one sentence, how would you do it?
Photo by Sebaso
Re-Read 2017:
The Dark Side of Social Media – Part 1
Strange things I’ve learned in Indochina | Part 1
I’ll miss you, Chester Bennington
Losing friends
Masturbation-Work-Life Balance
Sexuality as a spectrum
All gays have fetishes. And you do too.
Dear straight men, …
Top 10 Best LGBT Music Videos
Title photo by Christian Schnettelker
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emman damian
I think this is the funniest yet true resolution: Have fun. Have sex. Enjoy life. Stop worrying! Just enjoy life and be jolly!
benleander
I\’m happy you liked this post. I actually did want to do resolutions for my blog but when I did, I had to do it my way and ended up with this end result. Maybe not the most motivating one but one I can live with perfectly^^
benleander
Also, I wanted to check out your blog but the URL doesn\’t seem to go anywhere, unfortunately.
Amila Wickramarachchi
Well,these are truly honest New year resolutions which most of us do not have courage to share.Hope you wil achieve all these before ending the year!
benleander
Thanks! I hope so too but more than anything I wish for 2018 to be a better year than 2017. And starting with #14 I don\’t really have to stress about my resolutions 😉
Happy New Year!
Jelena
Excellent new year resolutions. I especially support the 14th, 15th and 16th.
Ruth I.
I don\’t have new year\’s resolutions. I used to list some when I was younger but now I focus on creating goals I want to achieve every month or year. I also need to lessen my social media use and spend more time with family.
lexieanimetravel
I haven\’t listed all my resolutions for this year yet but I have already said some to my hubby (haha) I hope to do it really. Mine are very simple but difficult for me to do cause of super busy schedules. Thanks for sharing with us your resolutions glad to know that you quitted smoking 🙂 cheers!
benleander
Hey thanks for the reply! But as I was reading it, I was smoking a cigarette… I think you might\’ve misread that part haha. Cheers to you too 🙂
Elizabeth
I don\’t set any resolutions either. I\’m already trying the best I can, and to set resolutions, and then fail, only sets me up for feeling miserable, lol! All the best for the New Year.
benleander
I completely agree! Lovely New Year to you too 🙂
Patricia-Ann Que
thank you for your honesty and personally, im not into resolutions but more reaching for goals. they are similar someway I guess and how do i do about it? I tell my family and friends as they help me achieve it! wishing u the best for 2018!
duffelbagspouse
Good luck on your \”resolutions\” especially the late one from a person who is also always late.
benleander
Haha thanks! If I find a great way to produce a realistic copy of myself that I can set up on my work desk, I\’ll keep you updated!
Laura Dove
Hahah number 7 made me laugh out loud, I love this post and I love your honesty. I think way too many people set unrealistic goals for the new year, the truth is we all know what we should be doing to get healthy and get our life in order, but it\’s not always realistic to think we are going to do those changes over night!
benleander
You\’re right! New Year\’s resolutions feel like a diet I\’m gonna break because they\’re too strict! I need lazy cheat days from my life and I don\’t want to put pressure on myself with unrealistic goals. That\’s my goal for 2018… No pressure! (#yolo)
Kaitlynn
I really appreciate the raw honesty in your resolutions. Your worry free mantras are quite inspiring and comically expressed. #13 is my favorite. However, I am a list person and highly motivated by setting goals for myself so I\’m not sure if I\’d be able to have this attitude for myself. I feel like we are polar opposites haha
benleander
Yeah, I just sometimes wish it was comedy and not my real life, e.g. with #13 haha! You could try to cut down goal-making and planning – you could even make a blog post out of it. \’How I survived without my calendar for 1 week\’ – I\’d read that!
Thanks for the feedback 🙂
Hannah MArie
“ I like the complete honesty of this. Not the typical unrealistic new year new me. Stay happy and I hope you make a lot out of this list.
Sudipta Dev Chakraborti
That\’s an excellent list of resolutions for the New Year. All about following the heart, something that all of us need to do more. Could connect with many of the things that you wrote.
benleander
Being your honesty and true self no matter what that may be is probably how I could summarize my goals for 2018 🙂 Glad you responded to it positively!
Enjoyfreebies
I love this post! I don\’t really believe in resolutions. Basically, the older I get, the less fucks I give. If I had a resolution, it would be to make it through this next year without killing someone (either accidentally or intentionally). Also, I quit smoking a few years ago and now chain-vape. In fact, I vape more now than I ever smoked cigarettes. Problem is I still love cigarettes, but vaping at least smells better. Good luck to you in 2018. I look forward to reading more posts from you in the future!
benleander
Not giving is always on top of my list (Or in this case, in the middle)! Maybe I\’ll try vaping again this year… At least, when I\’m sick. I\’m looking forward to seeing more from you and welcoming you here again! Also, good look at not killing anyone. Lowering expectations for 2018, anyone?
Rosey
I don\’t usually make resolutions at the new year. I did last year though, and I have for this year too. 🙂 Good luck to you with yours, and good luck to me with mine too. 🙂 Happy New Year!
Terri Ramsey Beavers
I need to follow your lead and make an honest new years resolution list. Every year I make a resolution to stop smoking but I enjoy it, lol. I guess I could try to cut back. I love your list, I lol on some, and can relate on others.
benleander
I\’m happy you liked it! Yeah, go ahead and follow my bad lead and not stop smoking. Or be a responsible adult, and do. Your choice 🙂
kedawithani
This was really a great post and very realistic list. .. I can live with that…!
Cassie
I love your honesty! It\’s important to be realistic or else you\’re setting yourself up for failure. I usually make a New Years resolution that is unrealistic and end up disappointed. I am going to try your method this year. Happy new year! 🙂
benleander
I\’m happy you responded you positively to this post! Happy New Year too 🙂 I wish zou all the best concerning your resolutions but more than anything that you\’re disappointed if you break them!
Kyla Matton Osborne
I\’m not big on setting resolutions for the whole year, though I do like to try and at least have one or two positives in mind for the fresh start that a new year represents. If that makes any sense. I also like the idea of adding positives to my life instead of trying to ban negatives. But life can be pretty unpredictable, so I don\’t want to write anything in cement.
benleander
I understand you very well. That\’s pretty much how I handled my resolutions before other blogs made me write a list as an end-of-the-year post. I agree that\’s it\’s not a great idea to set harsh goals but having a couple of positive things in mind surely isn\’t the worst thing to do.
Claudia
Well, since you\’ve seen my resolutions (why bother ) and I\’ve seen yours, I say we meet in the middle…don\’t make any, and if you do, don\’t waste any emotions worrying about it if you break them.
benleander
\’You show me yours, I\’ll show you mine\’ 😀
Good idea. I mean, we\’re kinda already there: You have no resolutions which I think is a good idea and I only have some resolutions and I won\’t be heartbroken if I break them. Okay, who am I kidding, when I break them.
RoxyRambles.com
I think resolutions are a great place to start. A regrouping for the new year. I try to make broad resolutions such as “maintaining a healthy lifestyle” versus saying lose 10 lbs.
benleander
You may be right. Resolutions like maintaining a healthy lifestyle aren\’t the worst place from where you can start a year. As long as you\’re not too hard on yourself and don\’t set crazy goals, everything\’s fine, I guess.
Wind Kisses
Love your list Ben. 7 is right on, but my favorite was 11/12 combined. It is nice when we have the presence of physical beings in our life, but with some many important people away from our reach, social media is a gift. Happy New Year. Donna.
benleander
Thank you for your comment! I guess with point 7 I wanted to summarize that I shouldn\’t take life and everything shitty happening too seriously^^ And 11/12… I think I might be using social media the wrong way. I don\’t need to chat with people I can see in real life, but I should rather use it to speak with the ones far away^^
Wind Kisses
You were right in your title…honest.
Ding Dong The Divorce is Done
Honestly, I haven\’t made a New Year\’s resolution for many years because I find myself breaking them and then the guilt of being a failure for breaking one of the things on my list is overwhelming. It\’s like when I use to participate in Lent…..ya know, giving up something for 40 days, yeah that didn\’t work either.
Now, I just make a promise to myself to live my authentic truth. It\’s easier to remember than then twenty things that I listed during a drunken one night stand with a piece of paper and a pen.
With that promise to myself I will be able to hold myself accountable and it really is a great challenge to live by every day.
benleander
Thank you for your thoughtful input! True, it\’s not a great feeling not to live up the resolutions set up. On the other hand, making up resolutions makes you wanna achieve them – so I\’m a little torn.
Writing this list, my conclusion was not to start the year by stressing myself with crazy goals. Being happy with life and with myself is probably the best thing that can happen, no matter if I live up to my other resolutions!