For those of you who are committing the month of January (or most likely the just the first ten days of the month, let’s be honest) to getting healthier, smarter, more productive, or more lovable, STOP. STOP RIGHT NOW. If there is one thing that is going to make your entire year a complete waste it is your current New Year’s resolution.

I am not telling you to avoid making one, quite the opposite actually. I am simply asking you to re-think them. January’s in Chicago are brutal enough without having to reconfigure your entire life for a few weeks (yes few weeks, we all know once new episodes of Lost start you are going off the wagon.) If you want a 2010 that is filled with success and happiness, simply make your New Year’s resolutions much more obtainable. If you are trying to get skinny, and cant even make it to the gym past valentine’s day, odds are you will end up wallowing in your own depression while downing a pint of Ben and Jerry’s while watching reruns of The Office come April 1st. Thus, your year is a failure, just like you…

Myself on the other hand, have gotten in the habit of making very reachable New Year’s resolutions. Previous ones have included, “I will watch every NFL game till the Super Bowl, I will make sure to sleep in on the weekends, I will Tivo the shows that I love, I will waste money on the lottery every week, I will wear gloves in the winter.” BAM! Easily obtainable goals.

Now you might be saying that the whole point of a New Year’s rez is to better yourself from the year prior, and how could I be better myself if I am just encouraging the same unhealthy habits I have been doing for the past decade? Well, it’s quite simply really. My success from sticking to my new years resolutions snowballs over time and makes me feel that I can do anything, because I started my year off by accomplishing things. Now you on the other hand are ready to slit your writs come the fourth of July because you are ten pounds heavier, haven’t read a book since last august, and have tripled your credit card debt.

Take it from a pro, reward your own mediocrity, and maybe we can all live a little happier.

By:

Jeff Maimon