The first moments of every New Year are accompanied by a number of reliable staples: the cacophony of explosives, the smooching of lovers (or strangers), and a proliferation of New Year’s resolutions.
Every year we see headlines in the news about keeping your resolutions, but these always appear early in the year then seem to simply fade away. (Resolution-keeping strategies in July, maybe?)
Whether resolution plans persist or materialize, conjuring up ideas for self-improvement is a holiday tradition.
WLRN staff follows the ritual by sharing their plans and goals for 2014:
The Flora and the Fauna
“Last year my resolution was to create more space for my social life and it actually worked,” says education and health reporter Sammy Mack. She says she wanted to spend quality time with friends so she scheduled out time on her handy Google calendar.
This year, Mack wants to visit the Florida Keys more often. “The odds are really good that if I say that my New Year’s resolution is to go to the Keys more often, I'm going to the Keys more often.”
“My New Year’s resolution is to get with the flora and fauna more,” says reporter Chris DiMattei. “I need to spend more time in the great outdoors.”
DiMattei compares Floridians to New Yorkers who never visit the Empire State building or the Statue of Liberty and says she wants to enjoy the tropical lifestyle of South Florida. Mack says she's fortunate to live so close to the Caribbean.
Both DiMattei and Mack are examples of optimistic resolution-makers but, not everyone at WLRN shares the sentiment.
Resolutions, Shmesolutions… Maybe
“Usually I don’t [make resolutions],” says anchor Kelley Mitchell. “I don’t like artificial things, including sweeteners.”
Mitchell says she thinks people should plan to be their best every day so New Year’s resolutions are silly. But this year, Mitchell is breaking her resolution embargo with plans to become “one with the universe.”
“I’m sensing that my spine is collapsing,” says Mitchell who suffered from major knee injuries. “So I promised myself and my body I am going to do some physical therapy.”
WLRN awards coordinator Laura Coburn is also throwing away old philosophies in hopes for a better outcome in 2014. Coburn says she used to "have intentions, not resolutions." She would make visual collages to represent things she wanted to accomplish for the year, ditching the frenzy over timing. It was fairly successful, she says, but things got a little messy.
“I intend to get my life together,” says Coburn for 2014.
So Will We Keep ‘Em?
“I want to do one thing a week that I haven’t done in South Florida,” says reporting fellow Wilson Sayre, who is relatively new to the area, adding “but I really like to sleep on the weekends.”
Americas editor Tim Padgett's hopes for the New Year are a bit mischievous. "I will use social media more and urge other people to use it less," he says.
But as far as his thoughts about WLRN staff keeping up with their goals for 2014, Padgett says, with a wink and wry grin, "I have every confidence that my colleagues will honor their resolutions."
