Jess Jenkins's Blog: Torrid Tales of the life of an Author Living on the Edge of Boredom. - Posts Tagged "new-years"
New Years Resolutions - A Fresh Take
Well, it’s time for the Monday post, and I’ve gone back and forth on what to write for it. After much indecision, I’ve finally decided to go with…the holidays. I know, cliché, right? Ah well…we’ll live through it. Walk with me, talk with me.
So, New Year’s is coming up and that time for resolutions that no one ever keeps but that we make with the best intentions. Like I’ll probably make a few that say something like lose a few pounds, read more books, write faster… Eh, I’m a rebel, I rebel against my own goals for my life. Hahahaha.
Here’s the thing about New Years Resolutions… The New Year is supposed to be a time for renewal or whatever, right? Putting the old behind you and moving forward, right? Honestly, what part of resolutions meets that standard? Let’s think about it, you resolve to lose weight, means you think you weigh too much and it’s time you think about getting rid of it. Which basically just makes you think about yourself negatively.
Me, for instance, resolving to write faster…means I’m too slow. Again, let’s think about this…I can either force myself to write something substandard (in my opinion of my own writing) or I can take my time and just write as my ideas come together and have something I’m happy with. J.K Rowlings spent 15 years putting together the epic masterpiece that is the Harry Potter series. She did things her way and she created something that still makes my jaw drop when I really think about it. That’s not saying that you have to take that much time to write something good, just that some people do. Everyone’s different, I’m not knocking it. I’m a slow writer. I nit pick at things. So really, I could resolve to write faster for any number of reasons, and in the end this is not something that’s going to make me happy.
Anyway, you see where I’m going here? We make these resolutions about the negatives in our lives, or what we perceive as negatives.
And, no matter how hard I try, I’m probably always going to be a few (*coughtwentyorthirtycough*) pounds heavier than the pretty models on TV. You know what I can do? Throw a few more fruits and vegetables into my day, maybe evaluate which vitamins I take and what’s necessary and what’s not, take my kids to the park more often and run around with them. Then I’m not resolving myself to hell while I try to calorie count and self deprecate myself when I don’t exercise three hours a day every day. Positive!
Maybe I’m never going to write faster. Let’s face it, I work full time as a nurse at night, I sleep during the day, I have two little kids and basically life is life. Writing doesn’t get to be my job (yet). Instead, I can say what I’m going to write is going to be my best because I think anyone who reads and enjoys what I write deserves the best I have to offer. Even if it does take me longer than it takes someone else. See, another positive.
I could make a list of all the books coming out next year that have excellent reviews that I definitely should read and buy them and let them stack up on my bookshelf (or in my kindle, as the case may be)…or, I could go to the bookstore now and then and spend an hour or two browsing the titles and finding a book I know I’m going to enjoy and read because it’s what I want to read.
Anyway, my examples are probably long enough already, my point is, this New Years, think about what’s going to make you happy this year. If you really are going to make resolutions and intend to really stick with them, make them realistic. Are you really going to lose fifty pounds by June by doing the colon cleanse once a week to look like skin and bones in that bikini for your vacation? Maybe not…but you could be a wee bit healthier and maybe lose a good few pounds in the process and what’s so bad with that goal? Am I going to finish The Order of the Elements book 2 by the end of February? Probably not (and for the record, I know my writing speed well enough that that was never a goal…LOL). But I know what I’ll have written by then I’ll be pretty darn happy with.
How about we make a New Years Revolution to revamp New Years Resolutions. Let’s make it about what’s going to make your life brighter, happier…enjoyable…not all the things we think are wrong with us that need fixing. I may not have learned a lot in my short little life, but I have learned one thing, happiness is what you make it, it doesn’t come in a box and one day POW…you’re life is suddenly changed and all better. Find happiness in the everyday moments and then every day…life gets a little better. Sure, you’re still going to have bad days where you want to kill the world, but when you can smile and not sweat the small stuff, those days are fewer and more far between.
Happy New Year everyone, I wish you all the best and brightest of years. Feel free to post your New Years Resolutions in the comments section below, I’d love to hear them. On New Years day, I’ll post mine.
I’m posting this a few hours early as I have to work tomorrow and may not be able to post til late.
Meet an Author Monday…bloggy hoppity time….hip hip hop. I’ll post the linky to the blog hop tomorrow.
Xoxo Jess
So, New Year’s is coming up and that time for resolutions that no one ever keeps but that we make with the best intentions. Like I’ll probably make a few that say something like lose a few pounds, read more books, write faster… Eh, I’m a rebel, I rebel against my own goals for my life. Hahahaha.
Here’s the thing about New Years Resolutions… The New Year is supposed to be a time for renewal or whatever, right? Putting the old behind you and moving forward, right? Honestly, what part of resolutions meets that standard? Let’s think about it, you resolve to lose weight, means you think you weigh too much and it’s time you think about getting rid of it. Which basically just makes you think about yourself negatively.
Me, for instance, resolving to write faster…means I’m too slow. Again, let’s think about this…I can either force myself to write something substandard (in my opinion of my own writing) or I can take my time and just write as my ideas come together and have something I’m happy with. J.K Rowlings spent 15 years putting together the epic masterpiece that is the Harry Potter series. She did things her way and she created something that still makes my jaw drop when I really think about it. That’s not saying that you have to take that much time to write something good, just that some people do. Everyone’s different, I’m not knocking it. I’m a slow writer. I nit pick at things. So really, I could resolve to write faster for any number of reasons, and in the end this is not something that’s going to make me happy.
Anyway, you see where I’m going here? We make these resolutions about the negatives in our lives, or what we perceive as negatives.
And, no matter how hard I try, I’m probably always going to be a few (*coughtwentyorthirtycough*) pounds heavier than the pretty models on TV. You know what I can do? Throw a few more fruits and vegetables into my day, maybe evaluate which vitamins I take and what’s necessary and what’s not, take my kids to the park more often and run around with them. Then I’m not resolving myself to hell while I try to calorie count and self deprecate myself when I don’t exercise three hours a day every day. Positive!
Maybe I’m never going to write faster. Let’s face it, I work full time as a nurse at night, I sleep during the day, I have two little kids and basically life is life. Writing doesn’t get to be my job (yet). Instead, I can say what I’m going to write is going to be my best because I think anyone who reads and enjoys what I write deserves the best I have to offer. Even if it does take me longer than it takes someone else. See, another positive.
I could make a list of all the books coming out next year that have excellent reviews that I definitely should read and buy them and let them stack up on my bookshelf (or in my kindle, as the case may be)…or, I could go to the bookstore now and then and spend an hour or two browsing the titles and finding a book I know I’m going to enjoy and read because it’s what I want to read.
Anyway, my examples are probably long enough already, my point is, this New Years, think about what’s going to make you happy this year. If you really are going to make resolutions and intend to really stick with them, make them realistic. Are you really going to lose fifty pounds by June by doing the colon cleanse once a week to look like skin and bones in that bikini for your vacation? Maybe not…but you could be a wee bit healthier and maybe lose a good few pounds in the process and what’s so bad with that goal? Am I going to finish The Order of the Elements book 2 by the end of February? Probably not (and for the record, I know my writing speed well enough that that was never a goal…LOL). But I know what I’ll have written by then I’ll be pretty darn happy with.
How about we make a New Years Revolution to revamp New Years Resolutions. Let’s make it about what’s going to make your life brighter, happier…enjoyable…not all the things we think are wrong with us that need fixing. I may not have learned a lot in my short little life, but I have learned one thing, happiness is what you make it, it doesn’t come in a box and one day POW…you’re life is suddenly changed and all better. Find happiness in the everyday moments and then every day…life gets a little better. Sure, you’re still going to have bad days where you want to kill the world, but when you can smile and not sweat the small stuff, those days are fewer and more far between.
Happy New Year everyone, I wish you all the best and brightest of years. Feel free to post your New Years Resolutions in the comments section below, I’d love to hear them. On New Years day, I’ll post mine.
I’m posting this a few hours early as I have to work tomorrow and may not be able to post til late.
Meet an Author Monday…bloggy hoppity time….hip hip hop. I’ll post the linky to the blog hop tomorrow.
Xoxo Jess
Torrid Tales of the life of an Author Living on the Edge of Boredom.
I write things, then I may post them here. Sometimes they may amuse, sometimes they may inform, sometimes they may be completely pointless.
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