Jessie: In Northern New England where the lawn is still disconcertingly green.
I love the holidays. I love the nostalgia, the traditions, the fun of secrets and surprises. But what I love most is the end of it all. It’s not because I’m tired of hearing carols in every store or that the Christmas lights have caused my electric bill to skyrocket.
It’s because I’m an enthusiastic goal setter. All year round I keep track of goals and create new ones. In January, so does almost everyone else. At the turn of the new year, no one thinks it odd if you wander for an hour up and down the calendars/planners aisles of the local office suppy store, considering your options. No one bats an eye if, in the course of a day, you join a gym, buy a book on decluttering and create a vision board. At any other time of year your family might stage an intervention. Or, at the very least, whisper anxious speculations about a mid-life crisis.
But in January, both the internet and the physical world are awash in support for resolutions and fresh, new starts. How-to advisors, life coaches and self-help gurus cheer on the masses from every direction. Optimism is everywhere.
Come February the fervor tends to die down. The camaraderie I enjoyed throughout the last few weeks fades and I find myself alone with the helpful staff at the local office supply store. But even though I feel out of step with the majority once more, there is an upside all die-hard New Englanders will understand; all the planners are on sale.
Readers, do you create New Year’s Resolutions? Do you create goals all year long? Or do you ignore all the hype?
Kait Carson
Charlene D’Avanzo 
LOL! I love it when the planners are on sale. I always find a better one then, once I’ve shaken out the “keeper” resolutions and the realistic approaches. Enjoy! –kate
A few years ago, I had lunch with Lea Wait and she talked about her next five year plan. As someone who lives in book time–a year is like a month, a week, or a day–I was fascinated by those of you who have it all mapped out. I tend to sink into it and emerge months later like a bear coming out of hibernation. But one of these days I’m going to start planning ahead…
I’m going to start looking at calendars differently now.
Kate
Me, too … I’ve been setting goals (5 year goals .. one year goals .. monthly goals … and then,under period of duress… daily goals …)for more than twenty-five years now. If I hadn’t … I suspect today I wouldn’t be a published author living in Maine. (Moving to Maine was one of my original goals.) It took a while. So — onward! An unplanned life is just … random! Lea Wait
I’m a planner and a stationery lover, too! Like you, this is one of my favorite times of year because I get to exercise both urges responsibly.
Love planners and on sale is perfect. I don’t do resolutions. At least I try not to. There is always that pesky five pounds. Instead I’m a goaler (I just typoed that and reversed the o and the a. No, not the same thing at all, glad I caught it). I set goals all year long for various projects. Then, when the academic planning calendars come out, I scoop those up too so I can keep goaling well into the next year.