I’m taking a look back at my new year’s resolutions from the past decade…did they stick??

2010 – Drink more! Ha. This was just after I’d left Suburban Mommy Life to start Bettye’s Big Adventure in Brooklyn and I felt I needed to go just a LITTLE bit wild! Plus, there was a liquor store just on the next block that I could walk to, so…WIN WIN! One of my most successful new year’s resolutions ever!

2011 – Wear More Jewelry! I know this sounds weird, but…it was sort of about making an effort to make things a little more special. But really it made me very conscious of how dissatisfied I was with my jewelry collection and set me off in selling so many things…and then not having the money to replace with things I liked! So, “Wear More Jewelry” turned into “Have No More Jewelry.”

2012 – Do Something New Every Week – This was a fun one, and I really did do a lot of new things. I ran (well, ran/walked) a 5K, I got reiki, I moved to the ghetto (that is now one of the most expensive rental markets in New York!), I tried new foods/restaurants/recipes, I went new places with new people, joined a book club, bought a bike, had my first paid photo job, and much more. I was really mindful of it all year, as opposed to forgetting all about it a few weeks into the year like I (and probably most people!) usually do.

2013 – Go Vegan. This was a biggie…and it lasted for four years til I got sick…and I just never got back on the wagon, even though I still believe it’s the right way to eat and live. Yes, I am a major hypocrite.

2014/2015 I have absolutely no idea. It’s not in my notes, I have no recollection about resolutions. I was just on auto-pilot. Not happy.

2016 – Start a Damn Blog! I’d been thinking about this for awhile, making notes, talking with friends, thinkingthinkingthinkingoverthinking, but finally I was just like DO IT ALREADY! And we all know how that turned out 🙂

2017 Do Something New Every Day. This was a spin-off from 2012…the point being TRY TO GET OUT OF MY DAILY RUT. But ruts are easy and…then I got cancer…and THAT, and everything connected to that, was CERTAINLY new. So. I let myself off the hook for this one pretty much. Honestly, I forgot all about the resolution come February and medical mayhem…but in hindsight, I DID do a LOT of new things, intentionally or not. First time I had my head shaved, first time I had radiation, first time I had a hysterectomy, SO many firsts.

2018  This was mainly about pampering myself, being kinder, gentler to myself…after the hard year I had in 2017. Did I do it? Maybe a little. I remember some flowers and candles. But I was also trying to make up for lost time from the year before, so probably didn’t take it as easy on myself as I could have.

2019  Finding ways to create more romanticism in my life. More reading, more being in nature, more wearing lovely clothing in lovely fibers, more tutus. I did some of that! But I got sidetracked with The Move…and it takes me a long time to settle into a new place enough that I can pick up where I left off.

And what’s in store for 2020? I think…BE MORE CONSCIOUS. If I had to pick a (dopey) word like “they” say to do, I guess this year’s word would be Conscious. Be more conscious of being wasteful: of time, money, resources. Be more conscious of other people (and by “people,” I mean people, animals, plants, the earth – all things living) – I have a tendency to think of ME first, other people second. I could stand to be a little kinder in that regard. Be more conscious of what I’m putting in and doing to my body. I learned this year that I CAN take control of my eating (when I want, ha) and that I DO have the power to make my body feel better not worse.

And I’ll try to be CONSCIOUS about being more conscious, ha. I’m going to send myself reminders and leave myself notes around. So I don’t forget by January 17 and just go back to going through my day (and life) mindlessly. I think I’ll put in my calendar on the last day of every month to check in with myself – how am I doing? Am I being conscious? Or just sleepwalking through actions and decisions (aka MY LIFE)?

AND (this is for YOU, and you know who you are) I do NOT expect to be perfect, and I will let myself off the hook now and then to be…a little selfish and covetous and lazy. And eat chocolate and carbs, ha. Cuz this is all MY LIFE. And I want to feel good, be good, but also ENJOY.

So how about you? Any goals, words, resolutions for the year and decade ahead?

What I’m Wearing

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