15 New Year's Resolutions NOT to keep in 2015 (slideshow)

17 New Year's Resolutions NOT to Keep (reprise)

New Year's resolutions.

So what's it gonna be for you this year? And what was it for you last year? And did you do what you resolved to do last year and stick to it? Or did it fall by the wayside like it does for so many who make New Year's resolutions? And if your resolution(s) fell by the wayside, how long did it take? A month? A week? A day? An hour? And what could you do differently this year that would help you to keep your resolution(s)?

I've done my best to write a post starting out with just questions. Did you notice? How'd I do? (Okay, enough with the questions.)

Whether you're a resolution-maker or not, you'll agree that making changes is never easy. There are a number of reasons why that is. The two greatest (at least in my mind) are: (1) setting the bar too high and (2) men and women tend to cling to the ruts they've dug (I know by experience).

And so what do you do?

What helps me is lowering the bar (taking baby steps on whatever the issue is) and accountability (allowing a friend to ask the tough questions).

With this in mind I've come up with a list of common resolutions, but with a twist. See what you think of the...

17 New Year's Resolutions NOT to Keep:

1. Spend less time w/family
2. Gain weight
3. Be late for work
4. Think only of yourself
5. Skip date nights w/spouse
6. Avoid church
7. Yell at kids
8. Charge more on credit cards
9. Watch more TV as a couch potato
10. Be meaner
11. Be grumpier
12. Stay at a dead end job
13. Take up smoking
14. Drink more
15. Be overbearing
16. Be a doormat
17. Burn the candle at both ends

(Many thanks to Albrecht Powell who helped to get my wheels turning on this subject with: "Top Ten New Year's Resolutions.")

New Year's Eve in Sonora

(click picture to enlarge)

Attitude is Everything

The new year gives us each a chance to evaluate our lives - to look back on the past and to look forward to the future. I've created a vlog post below to help you do just that. And since none of us really has a lot of time (right?) I think you'll enjoy the opportunity to reflect, refocus and retool in just over three minutes and thirty seconds. May you and your loved ones have a prosperous new year. (This is a reblog post from 2007, but in video form.)