New Year’s Resolutions to Avoid

It’s a new year. Which means new goals, new objectives, new obligations.

The breakroom chatter centers around fresh starts and fad diets. Chants of “New Year, New Me!” can be heard from your upstairs neighbor each morning. And everyone you see wears the same plastered-on smile, desperately pretending that their resolutions (or whatever they call them) weren’t a mistake.

Not you. You have a clear picture of what matters this year. It’s not a set of standards or list of rules, not KPI’s or OKR’s. It’s a state of mind. A standard of being. A way of living that focuses more on how you feel and less on what you just got done.

To get there, it starts by deciding what’s not getting done. And this list of New Year’s Resolutions is full of things you should cross off your to-do list—or better yet, don’t let them on your list to begin with.

New Year’s Resolution 1: Exercise more

If you want to go for a jog, go for a jog. But don’t feel the pressure to buy a set of free weights just to beef up a little. We’re firm believers that you should exercise to the point of having fun. If you’re not enjoying it, ditch it.

And for the record, if you count golf as exercise (and why wouldn’t you?), then we’re definitely not saying you should golf less. In fact, resolve to play golf more.

New Year’s Resolution 2: Lose weight

Why? You look great the way you are. And if you’re worried about trying to shed a few extra pounds to fit into a new Mizzen+Main shirt, don’t sweat it.

We offer trim and classic fit styles, so you’re good. If you need to find your fit, . But definitely read that before you cut out ice cream or, god forbid, alcohol.

New Year’s Resolution 3: Learn a new skill

Hear us out. Why not get really good at a current skill you already have You could start at the ground floor of some new hobby like whittling, or, you could perfect your homemade lasagna recipe.

Lasagna > small pointy sticks. Need we say more?

New Year’s Resolution 4: Get organized

Yeah, ok, being organized is great. We’re not going to fight that. But it can wait until February. We’re looking for a slow roll back into the office this year. Leave us alone.

New Year’s Resolution 5: Spend more time with family

Alright, wait a second. Hold it right there. We agree with this one. You should do this one, but only because it’s the right thing to do, not because it’s a new year.

In fact, that’s the whole thing. Why are we making lists on January 1 to resolve to do a bunch of things that we’re going to quit doing in a couple of days? Maybe this list isn’t actually a list of new year’s resolutions to avoid. Maybe it’s just a bunch of things you should consider doing because you want to.

Here’s what we think. For this next lap around the sun, we resolve not to resolve. New Year's Resolutions are for the birds. No more goals, objectives, ideals.

Instead, we’re going to coast into the new year. And we’re going to fill our time doing the things we love—and if those things happen to be exercising more, losing weight, learning a new skill, getting organized, or spending more time with family, so be it.

It’s a new year. Let’s walk into it feeling comfortable and living confidently.