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Resolutions! Are we doing them, people, or do we find them yawningly tedious?

I both make resolutions and sort of hate myself while making said resolutions. Because, on one hand, I like taking stock of the past year and thinking about things that I'd like to tweak, change or challenge myself to for the new one. But on the other hand, doing so makes me confront the fact that I'm not particularly good at making myself do things and that always makes me feel sort of bad about myself, which isn't really the point of resolution-making. Or shouldn't be, in my mind. And anyway, before I know it, the list of resolutions turns into a to-do list and who cares about those? But still, I can't bring myself to stop just yet.

So. My list?

1. Learn how to use a power drill. Because I'm sort of embarrassed by a. the fact that it deeply intimidates me and b. that I can't put up shelves without help.

2. Make actual albums of photos of Hugo instead of just letting them languish on the computer, so that he has a rich, tangible representation of his childhood. By the way, these photos are so inspiring.

3. Knit something complicated. Scarf? Can do it. Blanket? Ditto. Anything that doesn't involve knitting back and forth in a straight line, well, no. Time to attempt these or something.

4. Make a piece of art. I love doodling around with my dinky set of watercolors, but I always stash my creations where no one can see them. This year, I'd like to make something I can hang on the wall.

5. Edit my closet. I'd like to get to the point where I can open my closet and be sure to find a uniform to wear, but I'd also like to feel like I'm not always in some frumpy-mom special. Also, those sweaters from the early aughts need to go.

6. Transform a piece of IKEA furniture into something special. I am not powerless to Pinterest, folks. Plus, this would put those drill skills to the test. (Also, we need more storage.)

7. Do my taxes before May. This year, we barely squeaked by in December and hated every stressed-out second. Here's to no more last-minute deadlines!

8. Give myself an internet schedule and stick to it. As in, no going online when Hugo's awake. Or, no going online on weekends. I haven't quite figured it out yet, but now that I see Hugo peering at our smart phones with way too much interest for a 6-month old, I need to get on this quickly.

9. Decorate our bedroom. You know how it goes: you move into an apartment and while you get settled and decorate, one room ends up turning into a junky depository. In our case, it's the bedroom, a drab, brown jumble of all the things  I didn't manage to square away in our living room, which feels nice and homey, my office, which is light-filled and wonderful, or Hugo's room, which is cozy and cute. Thank goodness for Anna Beth's Design Camp in June.

10. Stop chewing my cuticles. Once and for all.

How about you, folks? What are your resolutions? Or do you steadfastedly refuse to participate in these types of things? Happy New Year to all of you!

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46 responses to “New Year’s Resolutions”

  1. Megan Mayer-Rothbarth Avatar

    1- Start reading through the “Top 100 Novels of All Time” (means getting into bed earlier each night to read).
    2- Eat more foods that only have identifiable ingredients (less boxed and bagged junk).
    3- Act the way I want to feel (and try to be more optimistic).
    4- Make something by hand every day.
    5- Dress happy (wear all those goodies I save, for what?)
    6- Do something every day that’s new or a little scary.
    7- Start learning German in preparation for a move to Berlin.
    8- Be a good citizen (pick up trash and throw it away, talk to the elderly etc.)
    9- If it can be done in under a minute, just do it! it feels better
    10- Do nice surprises for my husband and go with him when he goes somewhere because it’s usually fun and different for me
    11- Call my Mom and sister more often (trying to remember about the time zones).
    12- Have a baby this year! (*fingers crossed)

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  2. Ninette Avatar
    Ninette

    My resolutions are: blog more, be kinder to myself, make more pie, and re-organize my house.

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  3. Jessica Avatar
    Jessica

    screw resolutions- what are those donuts!?

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  4. Luisa Avatar

    Jessica – those are German New Year’s doughnuts! (They know how to start the year off right, right?)

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  5. orcagna Avatar
    orcagna

    Don’t worry about New Year’s resolutions – life will find its way despite whatever you are planning. But regarding the IKEA furniture turnaround, try the spray-on lacquer labelled “Hammerschlag” in German – little effort, huge effect! Good luck!

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  6. Hannah Avatar

    Those donuts!!!
    We don’t do resolutions, exactly, but I am totally with you on the internet thing. I actually started locking my phone in my car in the driveway, on the weekdays while my husband is at work. I needed a way to make sure that I am paying attention to my kids, or, if they are miraculously occupied, that I am doing something around here that actually needs doing. It has been almost a month and I feel much better about myself (and my parenting 😉 ) … I love your list, and it seems more like a wish list than a to-do list, but the best kind of wish list – because you can grant them all yourself. Happy new year!

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  7. tea_austen Avatar

    I have to say, I love my power drill (though I know only the basics of its use). I managed to put up a hanging lamp yesterday and felt like I could RULE THE WORLD.
    I always try to put some fun things on my list, so it’s less of a to-do trap–things I really get a high off crossing out. Mostly I’m working off a life list now, not so much new year’s resolutions. But my organizing project this month is to bring calm and order to my tea cabinet (and matching tins). It’s gotten out of control in there.
    And I’m working my way through the BBC Big Read list of most beloved novels. I do roughly five a year and it’s brought me so much pleasure (and good books I somehow missed along the way). I highly recommend it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/bigread/
    Happy New Year!

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  8. tea_austen Avatar

    PS. My junk room is the bedroom as well. It got decorated, but there is a row of boxes (conveniently hidden by the bed) still not unpacked from the move in last (eek) March. Must. deal. with. them. soon. Thanks for the reminder.

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  9. Stephanie Avatar

    Ooh, what a good thing to discuss. Resolutions seem much more real when we write them down, don’t they?
    I also want to limit my screen time. I’ve been realizing just how many interesting things there are on the Interweb and I can poke around at them for far too long . . .
    I want to read and paint (just bought a watercolour pad after 15 years of neglect!) and write . . . So I need to create time to do that — that’s the most important part for me: creating the time.
    By the way, in case this helps you, I manage my digital photos by making an album through iPhoto every year. It’s really easy (gotta love Mac). Sometimes, my album of the previous year is ready by February, sometimes not until June . . .But it doesn’t matter. Because now we have albums for every year in pretty white books that don’t take up much space, but are lovely to open up and look at.
    (And every year my husband looks through the new one and says that he forgot how many fun things we did the year before. Forgot! So an album is a very good thing.)
    Bonne chance with your resolutions, my dear!

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  10. jenny Avatar
    jenny

    be grateful. always speak kindly. love more. my resolutions in a nutshell.

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  11. Kay Avatar

    I also wrote about my resolutions. I tried to keep the list from being too long, so that it would be somewhat manageable and realistic. The only problem is that everyday I think of something new that I think, “Oh, that should be a resolution, too!” Apparently I have a lot of improvements I can make on my life.

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  12. Joan Avatar

    Good luck with your knitting! I hope you will have photos on your blog.

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  13. kathy Avatar

    yes….get those pics printed at least…if not put into an album. take it from someone whose hard drive CRASHED…not once but TWICE. It was only after changing phones and waiting for the thingy in the back to upload and unload…whatever—that I noticed most of the pics I had lost over the years were….somehow…on the blackberry memory chip. OMG I couldn’t believe they were there all along…for years. That’s what happens when you change brands…I made it to the cell kiosk to get someone to show me the stupid file that was hidden from view. And had them printed up before something else crashed.

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  14. rachel Avatar
    rachel

    This is so satisfying, mostly because it makes me feel like it might be possible to parse it down! http://www.doorsixteen.com/2012/12/03/my-work-uniform-my-favorite-boots/

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  15. Little Kitchie Avatar

    Our bedroom is the exact same story, and I hate it! Going to make that one of my resolutions, too. 🙂

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  16. Debra Weiner Avatar

    Redecorate our bedroom
    Practice Rosetta Stone German everyday
    Exercise at least 3x/week
    Eat out less often
    Cook more whole grain based meals
    Reinstate a facial cleansing routine every night (thanks for the reminder Luisa)
    Make at least 1 recipe per week from Ottolenghi’s Plenty (don’t yet have Jerusalem)
    Purge my closet and try to stick to grays and blacks
    Go to NYC at least 1-2x/month
    10.Go back to Berlin ASAP!!!

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  17. Jaimie Avatar
    Jaimie

    Floss! Every night, for heaven’s sake! It’s not that hard why am I such a weak person? 2013, let’s do this.

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  18. Susan Avatar
    Susan

    Yeah, what are those donuts?
    My friend who knows of these things says chewing one’s cuticles is Oh SO COMMON among humans, that it is a way of our soothing ourselves, and we’ll die with it. Just ask at the moment “do I need to do this right now to soothe myself?” So often I answer, “No”.

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  19. ileana Avatar

    We also need to put some more effort into decorating our bedroom! We’ve been in our new place since May, but that room’s taken a backseat to decorating the rest of our place.
    Also, work more on my blog! And as always, read more. Hope you and your family are doing well!

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  20. Marcy Brice Avatar

    If I had a resolution, it would be to go on a diet. Alas, I have set goals for 2013 instead. Educational goals, financial goals, literary and employment goals. The diet will have to wait.

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  21. Sasha Avatar

    Cook more German food. I live in Germany and I certainly don’t draw nearly enough inspiration from the local, traditional cuisine. Those doughnuts look like a good place to start working on my resolution!

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  22. Sophie Avatar
    Sophie

    My oh my Luisa, that’s a very long list!
    I have got just two resolutions (plus a gazillion of options that didn’t make it):
    1. set up a routine for keeping my living room nice and tidy
    2. stop making things big in my head.
    The screen time thing does play a role in accomplishing these two…

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  23. Eva Avatar
    Eva

    First of all, those little cups in the picture are so lovely!!!
    Second, how do you manage to chew your cuticles? 😀

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  24. Drew Avatar

    Cook 52 recipes from my way too many cookbooks. Find a new job. Take photos – 52 different themes. Clean out my wardrobe. Read 12 books. Spend a night away from home with my husband.

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  25. Angele Avatar

    Start querying agents with my middle-grade novel. Find a community of creative friends here in Berlin. Limit my daily non-work internet time. Explore this beautiful city on foot more often. Send at least two handwritten letters to family and friends each month. Make our furnished rental feel more like home without buying a lot of “things.” Improve my German to the point where I can easily understand anything a store clerk or grocery cashier might ask. Delight in the loveliness already around me. Whenever I hear church bells, close my eyes (if only for a moment)and just stand there and listen.

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  26. Kate Avatar
    Kate

    What are those tasty looking morsels in your photo — something stuffed with cream and glazed with lemon? Clearly it is something that would test my resolution!

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  27. Ariana {And Here We Are...} Avatar

    I’m not so much a resolutions person, but I do try to set intentions for growth in the new year. This year, I will finish my degree, complete some advanced bodywork training, find a physical skill to get into and work on (archery? martial arts? flamenco? not sure!) and lastly, it’s time for me to get serious about my blog and allow it to be a source of income rather than a full-time hobby!
    Wishing you well in the new year!

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  28. Em Avatar

    I am still debating my resolutions (besides the utterly boring eat less, exercise more), but I am so with you on the online thing. My daughter is 19-months-old and already knows how to unlock my phone and play around on it. I find myself looking at it way too often while she is running around the house. Must stop!

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  29. krugthethinker Avatar

    Yay, I love your resolutions! They seem mostly fun, and I think that’s what resolutions should be 🙂 Here are mine:
    http://krugthethinker.com/2013/01/plans-and-goals-for-2013/

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  30. Debra Weiner Avatar

    Oops, forgot one: keep up with my New Yorker subscription. I really don’t want to let more than two issues at a time pile up. I had to do an intense immersion this past weekend going back to Novemember issues!

    Like

  31. Jennifer Avatar
    Jennifer

    Oh my god!! I love those black and white family photos that are in linked in this post.

    Like

  32. Katie Avatar
    Katie

    Those are lovely socks. A suggestion: if you want to be inspired to expand your knitting, join ravelry.com.

    Like

  33. Emily Avatar
    Emily

    Oy. I’m with you on #10. Really want to stop chewing on my cuticles this year, but am not sure I can do it. If you find a strategy that helps, let me know!

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  34. darmowa bramka Avatar

    Ah, those donuts! They look like tradition, Polish donuts! I miss them so much here :/ My favorite filling is rose jam or vanilla pudding.

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  35. jif Avatar

    have you seen this http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.de/2012/12/reader-diy-linen-upholstered-rast.html – i am in love, head over heels. and look what the woman did with these billies http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.de/2013/01/making-billy-bookshelves-look-like_7.html – are you going to design camp!?!? i really want to go toooooooooo!!!!!

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  36. Luisa Avatar

    Megan – love your list! Good luck with it all, especially #’s 7 and 12!
    Stephanie – love the yearly book idea, how great.
    Jaimie – ugh. FLOSSING. Put it on my list, right after the cuticles. Damn it.
    Susan – thanks, that makes me feel better. Those are German New Year’s doughnuts, my favorites are filled with plum jam! The best way to start the new year.
    Angele – what a beautiful list. And those church bells, the best.
    Kate – they’re jam doughnuts with a sugar glaze 😉
    Jennifer – aren’t they amazing? I’m obsessed.
    Katie – I’m scared of it sucking me in and never letting me go! 🙂
    Emily – the only thing that helps me, honestly, is having short, lacquered nails. So I buy lots of fancy nail polish on ebay and try to keep my nails “done” as much as I can! It helps about 75% of the time… Good luck to you, my fellow chewer!
    Jif – HAVE I SEEN IT of course!! One of my all-time favorite blogs. So good! And YES I’m doing to Design Camp! Already signed up, paid the ticket, etc. COME, PLEASE! It will be so much fun. xo

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  37. devon Avatar

    I just want to say that you have no resolutions around food – which is an indicator that you are happy there. For years, my New Years habit has been to make a list of things I got out of the previous year – big lessons, small moments, etc – and then one of hopes for the next. I like to think of them as hopes, because you never know which opportunities will present themselves. Sometimes the wind is with you, sometimes not, you know? That said, if this were the year that I quit chewing my cuticles once and for all, it would be amazing. In my yoga training we always say it is easier to add a habit than to break one. Maybe your knitting will keep your hands busy? It hasn’t worked for me … 🙂

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  38. aebell Avatar
    aebell

    I suppose it’s indicative of my 2013 priorities that I was hoping your post would include a recipe for the doughnuts in the picture!
    I’ve attended the Design Camp, and it’s great.

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  39. Luisa Avatar

    devon – hasn’t worked for me either! 🙂
    aebell – there’s a recipe for them in My Berlin Kitchen!

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  40. tania Avatar
    tania

    do a blog for the little one. tumbler is super easy and you can make it private.
    x

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  41. Jeriann Avatar
    Jeriann

    I learned how to knit last year by knitting toe-up magic loop socks. Now I am totally addicted and am never without a sock on my needles. They are beautiful and so easy to work up–you use circular needles and mostly knit, very little purling.
    Good luck!

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  42. jenny Avatar

    I am so with you on #8. Related: I need a new hobby — I will literally entertain any idea that’s not digital.

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  43. Crazy Dutch Foodie Avatar

    What a nice blog and fun post. I had to smile while reading that many more people think they should reduce their ‘smartphone’ time. Glad to see I’m not the only one with this addiction :).
    My new years resolutions; finish my graduation in Bachelor of Law, write a new blog at least once a month and roast a lamb leg!

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  44. James Avatar

    Can you tell me where I could get a copy of the book of is it an online order. Im in Spain so maybe easier. Im also a chef and some of the things here definitely look like worth incorporating into my dishes.

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  45. beleye Avatar

    What a nice post! I recognized myself in each and every resolution!

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  46. Debby Avatar
    Debby

    I just finished your book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is reassuring to find that when you follow your heart into scary territory the most wonderful things can be found. I haven’t cooked anything yet because I just can’t decide where to start… but it may be with the pickled herring salad with potatoes and beets.
    All the best, DebbY

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