Happy 2007! I wonder whether some marketing company did a survey of the top-5 of new year’s resolutions. Doing more excerise, stop smoking, losing weight, working less, spending more time with friends, perhaps? Apart from my resolution to finally get my act together and start writing the book that I’ve been wanting to write for the last 4 years, all my resolutions belong to the category of the ordinary and boring (alright, perhaps the book-resolution belongs to that category too).
Did you make any less boring good resolutions for 2007 ?
{ 11 comments }
aaron 01.02.07 at 6:01 am
understand dworkin (the ronald variety)
Eszter 01.02.07 at 9:52 am
I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions given that any time of year should be a possibility for having revelations about one’s life and how one might want to change something. Why constrain that to only one day per year?
For example, in October, I read about the idea of Project 365 concerning taking and posting at least one photo per day. I started it on October 24th (a date without much significance although later I realized it’s the birthday of two good friends) and have been doing it happily ever since. Judging from the upsurge in membership of that Flickr group in the past few days, many people decided to start it on January 1st. I don’t see the upside of that. If it motivates people to stick with the project, great, but I doubt my dedication is any less serious because of an October start date.
Good question though, it would be interesting to know what percentage of all New Year’s resolutions are included on your list. Another might be “spend less time [insert some time-consuming activity]”. For example, how many people decided to spend more or less time reading or writing blogs, or perhaps viewing and commenting on Flickr photos? * cough *
kid bitzer 01.02.07 at 10:23 am
oh yeah, i’ve seen plenty of lists of the top five, top ten etc. new year resolutions.
and they are roughly as you imagine–largely driven by the twin lashes of our obsession with food and our obsession with appearance.
like eszter, i don’t make resolutions at the new year. unlike her, i don’t make them in october, either.
Stephen 01.02.07 at 12:33 pm
I resolved to use the word “strewth” frequently and well.
Nabakov 01.02.07 at 12:58 pm
I resolved to stop making resolutions I knew I wouldn’t keep. Like this one.
Jacob Christensen 01.02.07 at 5:16 pm
I’ve never been into New Year’s Resolutions.
Perhaps the reason is that I don’t smoke and never have.
Andrew 01.02.07 at 6:19 pm
I resolved to give up beer (sniff) and save $30K (which is a little tricky on a $80K salary in San Francisco)
dan o'keefe 01.02.07 at 7:40 pm
There might or might not have been marketing research behind this practice, but–given the likely frequency with which New Year’s resolutions to stop smoking are made–perhaps it is unsurprising that cigarette advertising appears to be more frequent in January and February compared to other months:
Basil, M. D., Basil, D. Z., & Schooler, C. (2000). Cigarette advertising to counter New Year’s resolutions. Journal of Health Communication, 5, 161-174.
Bobby 01.02.07 at 10:09 pm
Found some good motivators at newyearresolutionblog.blogspot.com for all that are interested.
PoemofQuotes 01.03.07 at 5:14 am
I resolved to uhm… Actually, I was watching a movie and didn’t even bother. :\
Carrie 01.05.07 at 6:46 pm
I’m glad you asked. I decided this year to enter more competitions. I never really win stuff, but that’s because I don’t enter. So far I have entered three since Jan 1st and I could win a microwave oven, some absurd face cream or even free dvd postal rental for six months. I am on the edge of my seat with anticipation and have my fingers and toes crossed. I feel that I am in for a bumper year.
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