I don’t think I’ve ever seriously made a single New Years Resolution. Yeah I made up some when pressed by my friends, but it was just something off the top of my head, not anything I meant.

I’ve never quite gotten the point of New Years Resolutions.

If something is important, why not just do it once you have decided it is important?

Mind you, this doesn’t always work either–I think I threw dozens of cigarette packs out the car window in the years I was trying to quit. But when I finally quit it was in July (1997, so it’s been 11 1/2 years), far from the time of Resolutions. (For those who are interested, going back on anti-depressants was the little extra push I needed to quit, to tone down my anxiety.)

I started regularly going to the gym during autumn (seven years ago I think).

Over the past several years I have slowly added more organic, healthy, and whole grain foods into my diet.

None of these things were resolutions. All that happened was that I realized I needed to make a change in my life and did it. Doesn’t mean it was easy, it doesn’t mean that tricks don’t hurt (an exercise partner is first and foremost a most useful trick).

Saying you’re doing something and telling others also helps–the knowledge that someone might ask you how things are going is a good impetus for keeping things going.

Yes, things don’t always work. I’ve been trying for years to get a regular writing schedule, but other than writing here (on my weblog), I’ve never been able to keep a regular writing schedule for more than a month and a half. But I think overall I have a pretty good success rate–at least for the important stuff.

So consider resolving not to make any resolutions this year. If nothing else, you’ll be able to enjoy January without any extra guilt.