It's Time For New Year's Resolutions

We're in the final days of 2013. It's time to take stock of our lives and find what we would like to do better in 2014. It's time for New Year's Resolutions.

I have to admit that I've been staring at this post for quite some time... mostly trying to find a way to sound inspirational when I'm not feeling it myself. Look, we're all in the same boat: good or bad, there were things we did in 2013 that could be better. Be they the way we looked, the way we felt, the things we ate, the mistakes we made, we can learn from ourselves and resolve to be "better" (in whatever way, shape, or form that means to you).

According to Wikipedia, about 40% of Americans actually make New Year's Resolutions, and of those 88% actually fail to keep their resolutions. The mistake? According to the University of Bristol it was making your resolution bigger than you can achieve.

Instead of saying "lose weight," resolve to lose one pound a week until you hit your goal.
Instead of saying "get out of debt," resolve to pay off one bill, then another, then another until you're done.
Make your goals public and get help from your friends. It will help you stick to the plan and get you excited talking about it.

My goal in 2014? I've been thinking about this a while and I've come up with what I think will help me the most in the new year: Find My Happiness. Sounds pretty broad and far reaching, no? Not really. I'm Bipolar. My wife and my best friend describe me as a "generally unhappy person." It's like the grumpiness and darkness of my disorder have come to define me... but they don't have to. I let it get that way. Here's how I'm going to achieve my resolution in 2014:

Allow Myself Time for Creative Writing - Did you know I've published 13 novels? None are very good, but hey, I wanted to do it and I did it. And then I just stopped. It's time to start putting words on page.
Go Camping - I love Bear Grylls. I find him to be inspirational and amazing. I know I can't face nature the way he does, but I can take my family out camping and enjoy nature.
Get Out - I keep expecting life to happen in front of my couch, but it doesn't. I need to get out and be social for a change. Perhaps join a local writer's group? I need to expand my world beyond the radio station and my house.

Those are just some of the ideas I've come up with. And all of these things are hinged on how well I'm doing at the time, how effectively my Bipolar medicines are being managed, and of course, how sincerely I hold to this goal. I'm not even 40 years old and I feel like I've turned into an old dog.

It's time to teach this old dog some new tricks.

Happy New Year! May 2014 truly be a blessed year for you and yours.