Goals Schmoals

Before I begin, I should take the time to say Happy New Year to all my peeps. Sure, this is a day late, but you really shouldn't be surprised by that. Actually, I'm not usually the type to wish people a happy New Year at all; conversely, I wouldn't exactly wish anyone an UNhappy New Year. I feel a sense of ambivalence toward the subject.
In fact, Craig and I had a conversation about that yesterday. Because he's a mama's good boy, he called his mom to wish her the obligatory New Year's greetings of happiness. After, he asked if I did the same to my parents. I said "No, I talked to them on Thursday." And he said, "So. You should call them again, it's New Years, after all." And I replied, "I don't think they care if I call them on New Years or not."

"Besides," I continued "They're probably still hung over from the wild New Year's Eve party they threw; my mom is quite the party animal, you know."

Ha, ha. Just kidding.

For what it's worth, I did not call them to wish them a happy New Year and my mom DID NOT have a hangover (that I know of!). I was just being facetious.

And now I'm really quite certain that they won't want to talk to me!

Ahem.

So, many of the blogs I read are goal/resolution focused right now. It's true. And expected.
Much like how all the store's sales fliers are peppered with exercise, healthy foods and organizational deals this week. January is the official save money after you maxed out your credit cards for Christmas, get your lumpy body in shape and organize your crap month.

One blog author even mentioned making a vision board. I'm not really sure what a vision board is, but I do remember that one of the girls trying to win the heart of a previous Bachelor (can't remember which one) made a vision board and she didn't make it past the first rose ceremony.
To me, that speaks volumes. Girls that don't make the first cut are the ones that try to sing for the Bachelor, show their double jointedness, recite a poem they've penned on a cocktail napkin OR in a fuzzy covered journal with their name scribed in puffy paint, cry about their dried up ovaries and/or talk about vision boards.

I do not set goals or make resolutions. The truth is I won't keep them and I know myself well enough to admit that. In the few times that I have proposed a resolution or two, I have known deep down that I wouldn't keep them, even at the very time the proposition was made. Sure, I want to accomplish things in my life, but I find there is much less pressure to succeed when no one knows that those goals are. Keeping resolutions requires an amount of effort that I'm not sure I'm willing to commit to. Sometimes it's restraint that is required. Sometimes it's courage. Sometimes it's fortitude. Sometimes it's all three. I don't really have any of those things.

Wait, are courage and fortitude the same thing?

For instance, I know that I should not drink diet soda. Its non nutritive value and laundry list of suspect and unpronounceable chemical ingredients is concerning. Somewhere in the back of my head, I know that eliminating diet soda from my life would be a good goal to set. However, I don't want to give it up, so making such a goal would be futile.
Why set myself up for failure?

I try to stay pretty loyal to my word so I figure if I don't mention the few tangible goals I have out loud, for others to witness, I'm not required to follow through. It kind of, sort of, in a roundabout way, goes along with my "expect the worst so you won't be disappointed" mentality.
If no one knows I want to do this, then when I don't, I won't have disappointed anyone.

Don't I just exude positivity?

Don't get too close, it's contagious.

I'm certainly not knocking the idea of self improvement or the motivation to pursuit it. I just think it's funny how with the turning of the calendar, everyone is suddenly refocused on being healthier and kinder and more prudent with their money.
I guess we all need a fresh start, so it's not a bad thing. I can just more easily understand tangible goals made at the new year as opposed to the "I want to be a better______."
Shouldn't we strive to be a better wife, mother, employee every day?

Of course, I should practice what I preach, but I think that relationship stuff is ever growing and changing so it's kind of weird to say "Starting on January 1 I'm going to be nicer to my husband."

In actuality, I *should* be nicer to Craig every day. And sometimes I am.
And when I'm not, it's all his fault!

You know, IF I did find myself suddenly in the mood to make those type of resolutions, I'd make two.

The first would be to stop placing blame on others.

The second would be to not publicly claim that my mom got toasted on New Year's Eve!


Happy New Year!!