Hello, 2017!

I don’t love the idea of “New Years Resolutions” as they are typically done. Most of the time they’re just false motivation, or a way to put yourself down as if you’re not good enough the way you are. January First shouldn’t be some excuse to “be a better you” but rather, you should live your life as the person you want to be every day, and when you mess up, don’t dwell. You didn’t “fall off the wagon” you just didn’t have a successful day and that doesn’t mean tomorrow can’t be successful.

I refuse to have resolutions that are synonymous with putting myself down. Instead, I want to take a moment to appreciate this last year. It has been a horrible year in a global sense. I am horrified and disgusted that the despicable Douchebag Chump is going to be the President of the country I reside in, and even more horrified that people know what he is and what he has said and done and still somehow said, “Yep, that’s the guy I’m voting for!” I know there are hateful, ignorant people in this country but I guess I just didn’t realize how many. There is no excuse. “I’m not racist or a homophobe…” Yes, you are. Because if you voted for that disgusting person, you know damn well he is, and you said that’s okay with you and still gave him your vote. Period. End of story. Don’t open your mouth again.

• Breathe.

Aside from all of that, though, on a very personal level, 2016 was a good year for me. The only “solid goal” I had in mind for the year was that I wanted it to be a peaceful year for me. I wanted zero drama, low stress, and the ability to focus on positive things. That was a relieving success. I have friends that share my values regarding how others should be treated. I have the perfect balance between having others in my life, and keeping the space and distance that I need to keep in order to maintain my stress level and not dance too close to my triggers. I don’t depend on anyone physically, financially, or emotionally – and for some that might seem extreme or a contributing factor to their unhappiness, but for me it’s the opposite. Depending on anyone for anything just causes me too much anxiety. I feel fortunate (and thankful to karma) that I have friends who understand my need for space and who don’t ever try to pressure me.

I got to take three trips, two with work and one “family vacation.” I left Vegas both times I went this year with more gambling money than I went with (I got hella lucky), I saw Wicked and The Lion King on Broadway in NYC, I acquired a few more pets (difficult not to do when working in rescue!), and I never had to stress about bills that were due as I get a comfortable enough salary, and I love my job. I’d do it for free if I didn’t need to make a living.

As far as my writing goals, it was hit and miss. I did publish the first two books of my six-book dystopian series, and I’m proud of that. Some months I felt extremely productive, but other months I simply couldn’t find the motivation.

This year, my focus is simply to write more – and more often. I’m not going to make “word goals” or specific things to try and strive for, but I just want to make more of an effort to write on a daily basis even during months where my brain isn’t moving quite as fast.

My second focus is going to be on being a bit more healthy. I refuse to set specific goals such as “weight loss” or “working out x number of times per week.” Losing weight is extremely difficult for me since I have Hashimoto’s, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make an effort to eat healthier and be more active. I can’t promise I’ll use the gym, but I do have dogs and they should be walked daily. If i can’t motivate myself for exercise purposes (and that’s hard for me because hello writing and Netflix!) I can do it for my dogs. As for eating, I can’t promise to swear off pizza and cheeseburgers (and I hate the whole concept of dieting, I can never do it in a healthy way) but I think making a salad to bring to work for lunch isn’t that difficult or time-consuming, and it will avoid me grabbing Cheetos and macaroni salad at the deli down the street. Little things like that. If I want a cheeseburger, I can have one and it’s okay and guilt-free, but I plan to strive, IN GENERAL, to eat healthier more often than I did last year.

That’s all, just little shifts into my already comfortable daily living and not some major lifestyle change that I might only be motivated in for two weeks before it is simply too much effort.

My suggestion for anyone hoping for a better 2017 both externally and internally is to appreciate and love yourself for who you are RIGHT NOW instead of getting down on yourself and/or telling yourself you’re not good enough. Then, take the pieces you love most about yourself, and focus on expanding them. Growth is not leaping across a ravine, it’s stretching slowly until you can reach something you didn’t know you could reach before. Let your personal growth be a flow and not a leap.

Let’s hope I feel as good about my own growth at the end of 2017 as I did at the end of 2016, and let’s hope that we somehow manage to impeach not only this psychotic, moronic dictator as our President-elect, but the hateful mongoloids that would take over in the case of his impeachment, too. I just hope that all of the wonderful RIGHTS we have worked hard to achieve as citizens of this country are still our rights a year from now, four years from now, eight years from now, and beyond.

Happy New Year!