The clock strikes midnight and ABRACADABRA! It’s 2019, the year I’ll resolve to live my best life ever, the year I’m going to fulfill all my aspirations. NOT!

I’m not a fan of New Year’s resolutions. They create too much pressure. Still, social conditioning makes me feel like I should make some: be kinder, get in the best shape of my life, use less plastic, stop eating meat, and buy secondhand.

Given my conflicting feelings, I pondered the situation and made a decision: I will make some New Year’s resolutions, but instead of making ones that center around all the things I WILL do in 2019, I’m going to focus on the things I WON’T do.

Why? Because I think many of us try to do too much, be too much, and expect too much, especially of ourselves.

So here’s my list: Things I Won’t Do in 2019.

1. I won’t put other people’s contentment before my own.  As much as I want people to be happy, it’s not my job to ensure they are.

2. I won’t mope about hips, thighs and belly rolls. I’m healthy. And I’m so damn thankful!

3. I won’t allow things that aren’t a priority to take time away from things that are. (Translation: less work – more reading and writing)

4. I won’t jump from one bright new idea to the next. I have two goals: finish the draft manuscript of my memoir and exercise on a regular basis.

5. I won’t hold grudges. It just prolongs the pain. Let it go, let it go, LET IT GO!

6. I won’t expect perfection. Good is generally good enough, and for that matter, sometimes half-assed is just fine too.

7. I won’t do things for other people that they are capable of doing themselves. (I’ll continue to lend a hand when it’s needed.)

8. I won’t complain about situations that I have the power to change but choose not to for whatever reason.

9. I won’t miss out on doing silly things because I’m afraid of what others will think. (Translation: I’ll be sporting some wild fingernails this year.)

10. I won’t judge myself when I fail at any of the above (except the fingernails).

Bonus resolution: I won’t use so many parentheses in my blog posts. (Scratch that. Not possible.)

Happy New Year to you, dear reader. I hope that whatever you WON’T do in 2019 leads to one of your best years yet!