So how many of you made New Years Resolutions and how many of you are still going steadfast keeping up your promises?  We all have good intentions for the most part but it is a struggle isn’t it?  In this acrylic on canvas board painting you can find one of my resolutions that seems to always be a constant theme, to loose weight, which I think is on many peoples lists.

I found this great article in our local paper The Guardian written by Monique Rowley who is a radio producer and former elite basketballer, that I wanted to share with you.

THERE’S something about the newness of a year that makes us believe in the power of a fresh start.

It’s like the first day of school all over again. Your pencils are sharp, your lunchbox still has its lid and drink bottle and your life feels like a fresh, contact-covered exercise book – a clean page to fill neatly with a year of learning, productivity and wholesome living.

I’m a sucker for this. Every year I’m seduced by the promise of new year resolutions. This year, I’m keeping a diary. Learning French. I’m going power walking every morning. I’m cutting back on carbs and alcohol, starting pilates and I’m going to remember everyone’s birthday and send them thoughtful, whimsical cards in the mail. I’m going to grow my own vegies, read more books and live like there is no tomorrow.

Except there IS a tomorrow. There’s a whole damn year ahead.

So here we are in January. I am a wee bit hungover. My gym just sent me a “we haven’t seen you for a while” email. I managed to walk, but only to the servo for a late night Bubble O’Bil. I’ve eaten carbs, drunk alcohol and forgotten my dad’s birthday. As the French would say: Sacre Bleu!

Falling back on bad habits is such a pervasive human condition that there are now more than 700 books on the market promising to snap us out of our lazy, procrastinating ways. With titles that shout “Get it Done!” “Getting things done!” and “How to get things done” I feel like maybe reading one of these would help me get things done.

But why do we feel the need to achieve constantly?

And who started this ridiculous routine of new year promises that we buy into year after year? Why doesn’t anyone ever vow to do wonderful things like eat more soft cheese, take more naps, wear more jaunty neckerchiefs?

So from now on, instead of resolving pious things to do, in 2014, I’m resolving to fail. That way, no one is disappointed.

Plus, if I then don’t achieve these resolutions, that is a good thing. It’s like some amazing reverse psychological theory. Forget life coaches telling you to be the best you can be. Be the worst. Then if you fail, you achieved by default.

So here goes. For the rest of 2014: I will forget birthdays. Sorry in advance. I will skip the gym and not always skip dessert. I’m drinking full fat milk not because I “accidentally bought the wrong one” but because it tastes awesome. I’ll nap when I should be doing something productive, my library books will be late and at some point I’ll get a parking fine.

It’s great to have lofty ambitions. But we can’t all be the Bondi Vet – devilishly handsome, nice, curing sick kittens with the gentle caress of his hand (and biceps and pert bottom).

We can’t all be Annabell Crabb, baking cakes, kicking political arse, having great hair.

Some of us just want to be Lay-Down Sally … in the row boat, letting the others pull you along.

If that’s you, that’s OK. There’s nothing wrong with aiming for the lowest hanging fruit. It’s well within grasp and it’s delicious.

So this year, I hope you fail. I hope you aim to have the worst 2014 ever. Which secretly means it might be the best.

Here is a link to last years blog about 163. ART & NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS and I did rather well with them (not perfect and still trying, lol)  However I failed on number 3 on the very first night New Years Eve!  Matching my water consumption with the alcohol did not go so well but I am happy to say that for the most part during the year I have stuck to it.  It does make for rather many toilet visits on a night out though!

Here is a quote by Oprah Winfrey that I think fits well here;

Till next time happy painting and sculpting to you all.

Love Marie xxx