How will you do better this year?

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Some started in December, and many more joined suit in January; making the endless list of things to change, to work on, or to aspire towards in the New Year. Without even asking, I got earfuls of people’s resolutions and reviewing several of them online, I came up with the round up below.

Some top New Year’s resolutions for 2009 among women:

I plan to date more in every sense (Good luck, also prepare for extra drama that almost definitely comes with that. Date yourself first, find out what makes you smile and adds a glint in your eye, figure out all your different personalities before getting mixed up with all those others, it will probably lead faster to the right person to date).

I will make more money (One of the better ones; persevere at whatever it is you found that’s going to get you there and by all means, share the knowledge).

Lose weight (Go for it! Just please be sure to be healthy about it; no crash diets, no miracle working pills, just good old common sense healthy eating habits and exercise, and good luck, challenge yourself to remain healthy).

Quit smoking (Please, please, please work hard on that one and don’t go it alone. If dating more is in your prospects many men actually find this trait unattractive in women unless they’re smoking alongside. If dating isn’t in your prospects, and you aren’t quite concerned about your own lungs, remember that those around you don’t really enjoy the second hand smoke and would truly appreciate the option of not gaining lung cancer in that way).

Spend more time with family and friends (This sounds really good right, and it is, but I implore you to be genuine about it. Be a little selfish, let them know how you really feel while still being kind to their feelings; understand that tough love is sometimes the best love, and reevaluate your definition of friend, separate from associate and leech, and then prioritize your time accordingly. Remember that time is worth more than money, spend it with no regrets).

Get a new career (Not a bad one, but like I told Janet a few days ago; although being happy with what you do is paramount, bills pilling up around you with no means to offset them just might bring about that unhappiness a lot faster. Be strategic about it; before you quit your job, make a list of the things that you really love to do and the things you really hate doing, and then start an action plan on working on one of those things you really love to do, and then quit your job).

When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, we can all agree that we have all probably made them at some point and slowly (maybe not too slowly for some) but surely broken them before the year was out. Having lived this, I don’t make New Year’s resolutions anymore, but I had to appreciate one that I found on About.com’s “Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions” and that is “Enjoy Life More.” Yes it’s broad, and some therapists and life coaches advise making resolutions that are more specific and measurable, but this one being broad I believe is what makes it work. It allows you to embody all of it; physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally, if you’re not enjoying it or it’s not leading to your enjoyment, don’t do it, and you don’t have to wait till the end or the beginning of the year to decide this – anytime’s just as good.

So I’m imploring every woman out there to make a un-resolution with me: try to live every aspect of your life working on simply enjoying life more in every sense.

This story is filed under: Lifestyle, Women by Design