.33 Resolutions Per Minute: How to Start the New Year

For the record, I don’t usually make New Year’s resolutions. At least not this early in the year. I like to hibernate through the dark days of winter and not commit until the rebirth of spring. 

But with the socio-political “format change” looming in late January, I’m inspired to give the New Year’s resolution thing a spin—before it’s too late. 

What follows are 33 possible resolutions—they might not be the vinyl answer, but they’re a start to a personal hit list. 

1. Stay in Tune: Prioritize balance over perfection—choose areas of focus—like family, health or creativity. Schedule time for your priorities, whether balancing yoga with school dropoff or a taco with a margarita. 
2. Less Skipping, More Spinning: Show up for your health. Plan to exercise every day—then when life intervenes, you’ll still get that workout, even if you’re just parking farther away—same vibe, less commitment.
3. Channel Your Inner Bowie: Dye your hair, try a new fashion look or dress for the life you want. Once, I dressed up for dinner at home, and we ended up going out instead. It worked.
4. No More Scratches on the Soul: Handle your (and others’) emotions like rare vinyl—carefully. And maybe with gloves.
5. Get Into the Groove: Schedule enough time on your calendar to accomplish your goals. Pro tip: It will always be more LP than EP.
6. Turn Up the Volume: Practice speaking your truth in your focus areas this year, whether in meetings, at dance class or to the customer service bot. 
7. Less Static, More Clarity: Take time to be bored. Waiting at the dentist? Just sit there. On weekends, don’t look at work emails. The best ideas arrive in boredom—turn off notifications, and savor the sweet sound of silence (or the dishwasher).
8. Drop the Needle on New Adventures: Try something new, like pottery or an interpretive dance class.
9. Spin It Forward: It’s crazy out there. Make an effort to be nice. Put a 20 in the tip jar, let someone go ahead of you or compliment a stranger’s style or energy. It’s the ultimate vibe shift for them and you. 
10. Stay Groovy: Add some fringe, literally or metaphorically, to your life. Commit to less doomscrolling, and watch more cat videos guilt-free.
11. Don’t Underestimate the B-Sides: Give the underdog a chance. 
12. Dance Like Nobody’s Watching: Because honestly, they’re probably busy looking at their phones anyway. 
13. Spin New Beats: The right music for the moment makes everything better, as my Madonna gym playlist can attest.
14. No More Warped Records: Prioritize self-care daily, even if it’s just a bubble bath and otherwise embarrassing ’90s hits.
15. Be Kind and Rewind: Don’t just look forward; look back. While making this year’s resolutions, look at what you did last year. You might be surprised at what you did, and you might notice that you want to make some changes now. Celebrate even small victories, like folding your laundry less than a week after you threw it on the couch. 
16. Stay in the Groove: The verdict is in: Multitasking isn’t a thing. Elizabeth Gilbert says, “I think people are addicted to being busy, and multitasking is part of that. It feels like you’re doing something, but it’s actually the opposite.”
17. 45 RPM, Not 78: Slow down, and enjoy the ride; there’s no need to rush to the finish line. Try setting reminders on your phone to slow down.
18. Flip the Record: When a bad day hits, start over. Bonus if you can add chocolate to the mix.
19. Vinyl Revival: Appreciate what you already have. Fix or refurbish your things. A chair, a friendship… or revive your pandemic sourdough starter.
20. Be a Playlist: Make your day flow smoothly by matching your activities to your energy level—high-energy tasks in the morning, creative moments in the afternoon and pure relaxation in the evening, etc. 
21. Spin Some Gold: Creativity doesn’t have to be your job. Everyone can find joy in making things, whether for money or for love. Finally write that story, poem or wildly specific fanfiction.
22. Don’t Fear the Reissues: Take time to revisit things you enjoyed that somehow fell by the wayside, like an erstwhile interest in knitting or singing bad karaoke. 
23. Don’t Scratch the Surface: Go deep into your interests, whether painting, baking or finally figuring out why your plants keep dying. Knowing the difference between Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt might just make you the coolest person at your next cocktail party. Or not. But at least you’ll know.
24. Jam Sessions Only: Avoid unnecessary meetings that could’ve been emails. Also avoid emails.
25. Tune Into Gratitude: Write thank-you notes, even for the bad gifts.
26. From Mono to Stereo: As Brené Brown says, “Humans are social creatures; we need connections with others to thrive.” Solitude is great, but we still need other people.
27. Cue the Deep Tracks: Explore hidden gems: a local trail, a new neighborhood café or that weird button on your blender (“frappé”—wtf?).
28. No More Broken Records: Stop replaying negative thoughts; scratch those tracks, and play something uplifting.
29. Hit Pause: Take more breaks. Meditate or just stare out the window dramatically. Savor your coffee like a fine wine. Or savor your wine like a fine coffee. Trade a busy Saturday for a pajama day—no regrets; only brunch.
30. Drop Beats, Not Balls: Get organized. Clean those forgotten shelves… and your overstuffed calendar. 
31. Don’t Skip Tracks: Commit to finishing that book you were enjoying before something interrupted your roll. Or finish that craft project however you can—yes, the one from three years ago.
32. Fade Out Gracefully: I don’t mean end-of-life planning, though putting your affairs in order can’t hurt. I mean socially, as in ending awkward conversations smoothly—try saying, “I need to go rotate my succulents.”
33. Live Like a Mixtape: Mix unexpected activities like cooking-and-comedy, running-and-reading or gardening-and-guitaring. Mash-up all your favorites.