Happy new year, resolutions or not

In 2013, I actually kept a couple of resolutions. I think the trick to it was that I did not actually call them resolutions but labeled them as ‘amorphous thoughts’ because serious goals cannot be amorphous, right? This provided me the escape route from a guilty conscience should I fail. I also thought of them as thoughts teetering on the threshold of resolutions and this technique seemed to work, to some extent. I’m not sure that was the right attitude, but still …

My successful thoughts-not-resolutions were to stick to a 52-week hobby challenge on the Internet, and to get out of my city a little more than I did last year. I had several more that I did not achieve – to watch more movies, learn something new, like a craft or music, become more active on Twitter, volunteer, and so on.

I have long given up on making grand resolutions that have to do with personality development and fitness goals. Smaller, unrelated achievements that make us feel good without much trouble may relax us and take us to the bigger ones. If that sounds irrational or like pop psychology, put it down to the self-help books I read over the past year. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, here are some thoughts-not-resolutions we could consider adopting for 2014, or any new year after that.

1.Watch a funny video every day.

2.Print those photos you’ve been accumulating in your camera/computer/pen drive.

3.Tear up those credit card charge slips and throw them away – the notification on our phone should be enough.

4.Delete unnecessary messages from your phone and inbox as soon as they arrive.

5.Don’t hold it in, take a bio-break. That’s jargon for ‘use the loo’.

6.Use less jargon.

7.Check the expiry dates on the stuff you buy.

8.Call a friend or a family member you haven’t spoken to in a while. Set a reminder if you have to.

9. Find another news channel to watch if you don’t like the anchors on your regular one.

10.Get rid of at least three useless things every day – the pen that does not write, the packing that your gadgets came in, parts of old gadgets that are lying around the house, junk mail, those ‘social’ friends who haven’t so much as ‘Liked’ something you said in years …

And here’s one that I saw this morning on the Internet: Start your day with a good laugh instead of with good intentions.

Amen! And happy new year!