I Resolve...Part 2

Photo: Annca via Pixabay

I love goals, but I hate resolutions.

Resolutions sound so...formal. Daunting.

Goals, on the other hand, represent stuff we want to do. Not surprisingly, many of my goals revolve around writing and teaching, with a few personal improvements thrown in for good measure.

So often, we feel that New Year's Resolutions need to be self-improvement plans. Stop smoking. Lose weight. Go to the gym. If these are things we really want to do -- things that matter to us and that will bring us joy when we accomplish them -- then we should set them as resolutions.

But what if they don't?

I think starting the year off with a list of "shoulds" is a terrible idea. Talk about trudging into a new year.

On Monday, I shared my New Year's Day goal-setting tradition -- one that takes place curled up on my living room sofa, not sitting at a desk under fluorescent lighting. One that arises out of my hopes and dreams, not a list of things I ought to do.

One that makes me look forward to the new year.

Today, I thought I'd share a few of my characters' New Year's Resolutions. If you've read Casting the First Stone and/or Chasing a Second Chance, you'll recognize most of these characters. The last two are the main characters from a novel I'm currently revising. Since I'm not sure what my plan for that book is, I don't know how soon you'll see it, but, right now, these characters are in my head, demanding equal representation.

So, I'm having each of them choose one thing from the graphic at the top of this blog (which I love because it seems that it would be easy to check off one of those things every single day) and to make a wish that's a bit more personal. I hope to finish the third Marita/Angel/Charli book in time for you to see if their resolutions come to fruition.

In the meantime, here's what they resolve.

• Marita: "Listen to your (my) heart" and figure out how to be an adult without being boring.
• Angel: "Be cheerful every day" and be a good mom.
• Charli: "Clean out your -- um, my -- wardrobe" and swear off boys.
• Jim: "Save money" and grow my business.
• Bets: "Eat healthier" and plan a celebration.
• Trevor: "Make plans" and finish my degree.
• Lukas: "Be patient" and trust God.
• Anna: "Eat less" and help my stupid brother stop making dumb choices.
• Todd: "Do sport" and get Charli back. Wait. Who's reading this?
• Gina: "Play the lottery" and figure out what I want to be when I grow up.
• Peter: "Help others" and keep my opinions to myself.
• Kelsey: "Be happy" and figure out what comes next.
• Jake: "Fulfill wishes" and finish my book.

Happy 2017!