New Year's Resolutions?

I don't do these as a rule because ... well, I don't know why really. I guess I feel that you either make plans which you endeavour and generally fail to carry out - and recalibrate when things go wrong, or you don't. I prefer to have a few aims - and they don't necessarily have to be in writing - and to work towards them without the pressure of trying to live up to some vague 'motherhood statement' like I will try to be a better person this year. Yes, I know I'm unlikely to achieve all I hope to - the last two years it's been more like achieve anything - but that's okay. You just have to try. That's all anyone can do and making a list on 1 January isn't an essential part of it.

So that's been my general attitude to New Year's resolutions and this year wasn't going to be any different. Or so I thought but somewhere in the back of my mind I must have been thinking about my need to change things after the less than stellar year or so Pisces and I have had. But where to start? I’d read about seeking joy and positivity often enough to feel this was old hat. After all who doesn’t want more joy in their lives? Besides I’ve read so many books that tell you how to do this - usually with lots of impractical suggestions - I didn’t think there was anything new for me. That was until I heard about someone who had simply decided to make a point of enjoying life.

What a brilliant idea. You don't have commit to specifics. You decide to enjoy life and in the process anything can happen. It opens you to a whole range of new possibilities and not the over promoted positive thinking we're told will help us succeed. (I’ve news for the purveyors of such ideas. You can be as positive as you like but if, for example, you’re stuck in hospital or bed bound your situation won’t change no matter how positive your thinking.) The longer I thought about it, though. the more I could see how genuinely good for you finding joy and having fun for its own sake could be. If you do this other things will fall into place and you will thrive. Embracing joy won't stop bad things happening - I'll still have to cope with health issues that will sometimes prevent me doing what I’d like to and the mess the world is in won’t get better overnight - but there'll be time for fun as well if I actively seek it - and I intend to.

So for the first time in my life I'm making a New Year's resolution. I'm going to have fun. Not sure exactly what or where that will happen yet but I'm going to be watching out for every chance of fun I can find. Wish me luck.