New Year's Resolutions

I read this about New Year’s resolutions in the Paris Review a few years ago:

“One estimate suggests that almost half of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, and yet fewer than 10 percent successfully follow through… It might be tempting to do away with this farce altogether, but before we commit to being noncommittal about the New Year, it’s worth thinking through some of the options.”

So here’s an option. My approach to this tradition is “aim low and succeed.” Some examples from past years:

No movie theater popcorn
Only good chocolate
Learn to make better salad dressings

I’m happy to report that I was able to sustain each of these resolutions, and they improved my life by a small increment. This year?

Don’t leave wet dish cloths in the sink.

I have great hopes for this.

Oh, you looking for something a little more uplifting? How about this:

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

Martin Luther King