I've just discovered something interesting. Just because we are in a New Year, it doesn't mean a lot of us are stampeding to make positive changes or promises in our lives. I find this interesting because every year I make myself a promise to lose weight, get more active, write that book, reconnect with old friends and a myriad of uplifting,optimistic stuff that always sounds great and makes an impressive list. After the month of January flies past and that first successful flush of actually doing some of that list passes, the list goes the way of the dodo bird--extinct or maybe that's "extinguished."

Thinking about this further, making New Year's resolutions is a bunch of hoo-hah just so others can feel righteous that they made a list and plan to carry it through the entire year. Hearing about their intentions is suppose to make you guilty enough to produce a list of your own.

This year I didn't fall into that trap of making a New Year's resolution." After all, what's the point of making a promise to yourself if you don't follow through? After mulling this over, I decided that my promise to myself is not to make any more resolutions--ever! From now on, if I feel like going to the gym, I will. If I want to indulge in chocolates all day, I will. Realistically, I probably won't--maybe nibble a few to satisfy that craving. . .and to ease that chocolate guilt, head for the gym, maybe.

It's been said that a New Year signifies "New Beginnings." I like to think so--it's a clean page to start anew, but what about all the unfinished "garbage" of the Old Year? Because if you think about the projects left unfinished or incomplete, how important were they to start with?

I find that projects with deadlines or projects that are important to me are definitely tackled first. Anything else is either filed away for later or "garbage." It's easy to file stuff away, but so difficult later to purge those hard-fought words, the witty repartee, the catchy beginnings and/or the clever endings, the numerous bits and pieces of writing meant for future books or stories. Filed stuff were meant for something but, like the barely worn clothes in your closet, if it hasn't been used in two years, toss it. Just close your eyes and turf it out. I shred my stuff. After all, if I don't read it, the recycling man can't either!

January is more than half-way through. How are your resolutions doing? Once I purge my files to make space for 2013, I'll be fine.  Hm-mm. some of these bits and pieces look like it may have possibilities--I'll just start a new file.  Some stuff you can't just close your eyes and toss. . .