# Need suggestions for New Year's Resolutions **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 31, 2008, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-suggestions-for-new-years-resolutions/479356 "2008-12-31T14:50:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-suggestions-for-new-years-resolutions/479356/1 "2008-12-31T14:50:07Z")
“Get off my ass” doesn’t seem specific enough. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Lo-Slung\_Denim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f6c823/32.png) [@Lo-Slung\_Denim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lo-Slung_Denim)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-suggestions-for-new-years-resolutions/479356/2 "2008-12-31T14:54:23Z")
Endeavour to remove posterior from implements whose primary use is to reclined upon for comfort, upholstered or otherwise? (get ass off couch) ---
**Author:** ![3acresandatruck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e79b87/32.png) [@3acresandatruck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3acresandatruck)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-suggestions-for-new-years-resolutions/479356/3 "2008-12-31T16:30:14Z")
I’d suggest being specific as to context and degree. “Get off your ass” and do _what_? Exercise? (I just picked that as an example, because it used to be one of my resolutions.) If so, then how much exercise: frequency, duration, intensity. I’d even say you’d want to build in a plan for making it achievable at the beginning, and something you can continue and improve on. Remember, you want yourself to succeed: don’t burn yourself out at the beginning; build gradually to your intermediate and ultimate goals. Thus, maybe something like “I’ll walk a mile twice a week in January, three times a week in February, up it to two miles three times a week in March, etc.” That’s the way I did it. I can easily do ten miles a day now, and I just have a general resolve to continue exercising. I think the same kind of gradual approach works with most changes. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-suggestions-for-new-years-resolutions/479356/4 "2008-12-31T17:05:44Z")
Quit smoking. And if you don’t smoke, start smoking so you can feel confident in yourself when you do. I don’t know where I stole that joke from… heard it somewhere in the past week. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-suggestions-for-new-years-resolutions/479356/5 "2008-12-31T17:34:44Z")
Start out small. Go for a walk/workout for 15 minutes each day and then keep increasing your minutes each week until it’s just automatic. My parents walk for at least an hour every day. It’s so much of a habit that they don’t even think about it. I, myself do not do this and also need to work on getting off of my ass. Much easier to say than do! ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-suggestions-for-new-years-resolutions/479356/6 "2008-12-31T19:11:00Z")
If you’re the type that doesn’t keep up with housework, assign yourself one task per week (cleaning a closet, cupboard, etc.). I’m personally not real good at resolutions, but since we’re paying for a gym membership, I’m going to try to keep up with it. (Luckily it’s month-to-month, so if it sucks, I can bail). ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-suggestions-for-new-years-resolutions/479356/7 "2008-12-31T19:16:58Z")
Resolve to master the arts of cookie and brownie baking, and further resolve to send the products thereof to Oakminster. ---
**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-suggestions-for-new-years-resolutions/479356/8 "2008-12-31T19:23:14Z")
I agree with spelling out exactly what you plan to get off your ass to do. I wanted to run more in 2008, so I resolved to run at least a hundred miles over the course of the year, with the miles logged in an exercise journal I started in 2007 to keep myself honest. This gave me a concrete goal to work toward, and it was easy to keep up once I’d surpassed it. You could set a number of gym visits you wanted to make or games of tennis or whatever it is that you would want to do. ---
**Author:** ![Key\_Lime\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/48db29/32.png) [@Key\_Lime\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Key_Lime_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-suggestions-for-new-years-resolutions/479356/9 "2008-12-31T19:24:35Z")
_I hate that New Year’s Resolutions are all about weight loss…_ Read a book a week. Enter a poetry or photography or recipe contest. Learn a new language or skilled hobby. Construct your family tree & contact ‘new’ relatives. Throw a dart at a map & go there. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-suggestions-for-new-years-resolutions/479356/10 "2008-12-31T19:48:50Z")
I’m going to eat more cheese, and write more letters. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-suggestions-for-new-years-resolutions/479356/11 "2008-12-31T20:33:41Z")
I’m going to improve my penmanship, which sucks. I almost never write anything on paper anymore, but when I do, it’s painfully obvious. :eek: So I’m going to write something - anything - everyday. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-suggestions-for-new-years-resolutions/479356/12 "2008-12-31T21:05:58Z")
Thanks for the advice, folks – the “get off my ass” was as much metaphorical as it was physical, so keep the ideas coming. (And **Clayton** – I quit smoking ten years ago, after 20 years of 2 packs a day – whatever point needed to be made there has most emphatically been made.) More cheese, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-suggestions-for-new-years-resolutions/479356/13 "2008-12-31T22:03:29Z")
I resolve not to wait until New Year’s to start making resolutions. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-suggestions-for-new-years-resolutions/479356/14 "2008-12-31T22:27:36Z")
I’m going to focus on being better to myself - which will include making the time to go to the gym/pilates when work seems more important, thinking before eating, and being happy with what my body does for me, rather than what it looks like. All of this aimed at getting a little inner serenity. Last night when we were talking, I also added that I want to add more joy back into my life, and I’m going to start doing more things I loved doing when I was younger but don’t do anymore, or strange or whimsical things which just seem like fun. I have enough seriousness at work, I need to laugh more. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-suggestions-for-new-years-resolutions/479356/15 "2008-12-31T22:52:16Z")
Well, these are mine, feel free to use 'em: Remain Quit (smoking) Do My Rehab Every Day Until Told Otherwise (ACL reconstruction) No Swearing Exercise Daily As Able Keep a Food Diary ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-suggestions-for-new-years-resolutions/479356/16 "2008-12-31T23:12:29Z")
Yeah: How about no more New Years Resolutions? If anybody wants to stop something they don’t like doing, plan to stop now or as soon as you can. The New Year has nothing to do with resolving bad habits, only empty promises until the next year. Your will power needs to be stronger than 1/1/xxxx ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-suggestions-for-new-years-resolutions/479356/17 "2009-01-01T15:51:09Z")
Happy new year, **twickster**! Here’s some suggestions for you: Resolve to… … watch the Mummers Parade today. … do something big involving gardening and/or puzzle magazines. … break your posts-per-thread record. … make new chocolate confections. … share homemade chocolate confections. Do these help? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-suggestions-for-new-years-resolutions/479356/18 "2009-01-01T16:27:49Z")
Fuck! I completely forgot the Mummers! **grabs remote**