Happy New Year, it’s the end of 2015 and the beginning of the rest of our lives. What a scary and exciting thought.

Over the week I’ve had time to read others’ blogs and comments in the media about the usual things we all consider at this time of the year, looking back on what we’ve accomplished over the year and what we want to accomplish in the next year and beyond.

Some of the blogs were very funny albeit negative in relation to resolutions made and then broken in the first few days of the New Year, where others considered resolutions for themselves and how this would improve their lives.

I read an interesting article on BookBaby about Ryan Boudinot’s rant earlier in the year, specifically in regard to writers undertaking the MFA in creative writing. He was no longer a teacher in the program and felt he could share some truths about the students and not very pleasant ones. As a teacher (not of aspiring writers, however) it is common to feel like we’re given the impossible task of teaching those that won’t or don’t want to learn. However, in the midst of his rant there are some good points and one in particular that I have incorporated into my New Year’s resolutions. To quote Ryan Boudinot,

“writing that’s motivated by the desire to give the reader a pleasurable experience really is best.”

So in deciding on New Year’s resolutions, take stock of what we have achieved and rather than put ourselves down for those resolutions that didn’t make it past the first few months of the year pat ourselves on the back for those achievements we’ve made over the year.

Next look at our hopes and dreams, resolutions should be ways to help us achieve them.

Then look at what we can do to make others’ lives better. We need to allow our hearts to grow as well as our minds and bodies.

So my New Year’s Resolutions for 2016;

1. do something for someone else and give a sincere complement daily;
2. work on my writing to give others’ pleasure at least once a week;
3. let my family and friends (and puppy dogs) know regularly how much they mean to me;
4. spend less;
5. get out of breath and sweaty once a day;

and because I’m in a very happy relationship and want to keep it that way,

6. do at least one thing a day with my husband and tell him I love him.

Now just to be able to remember them for the next twelve months.