Five Days In

The etymology of the word resolution is from the Latin resolvere, which means to loosen or release. Hold up. That's kind of the opposite of what New Year's resolutions are attempting to accomplish, right? So many traditional ones are restrictive, limiting, retributive for last year's errs.

The past twelve months were good to me. We welcomed a dimple-cheeked little girl into our chaos in February, traveled just enough, argued less, played more, and spent the final weeks enveloped by snow and family. My mental health only minimally veered into the red.

I'm too spent (read: lazy) to give you pre-meditated advice for the next twelve, so I'll direct you elsewhere. Here are four 2014 launches that aren't emotional flagellation, vastly different from one another but all dead-on.

1. The Nomad Mom says:

If your pants don’t fit, waiting until Jan 1 to go the gym isn’t going to make them fit any sooner or better. (...) I can’t think of one damn thing I would want to change in my life that would make sense to put on hold until Wednesday.

Read the rest. 

2. Magnolia Ripkin has eight resolutions you can actually keep. 

Take a look around – do you have piles of unread magazines, books you haven’t gotten to and projects you keep meaning to start? Clean that crap out… it just sits there judging you for not getting to it. When you get it out of your home, you can’t hear the disdain anymore.

3. Julie over at Three Chickens and a Boat says it's all about intention:

A simple word. And one that we should all include into portions of our life, all the time to allow it to progress. But this year, it will be more than that for me. It will be my focus and purpose.

Head over to Julie's island (literally) to find out what IT is.

4. Mindful comic Divorce Doula is leaving 2013's baggage behind and embarking on what her always-right mother believes will be her grandest adventure yet.

Welcome to the new year, people. Don't be jerks to yourselves.

xxx+o,
Jess