My New Year’s Resolution: No More Coulda, Shoulda, Wouldas
ByIn a couple of hours, the clock will strike midnight, ushering in 2010. This is a quiet New Year’s Eve for me – just finished doing the laundry. Honestly, when did this holiday become so important to everyone? I wish a fairy godmother would sprinkle some gold dust on my head at 12 o’clock and make all my dreams come true, but that is not likely to happen.
So, here is the deal. I’ve got to make things happen myself. And instead of reflecting back on 2009 and all the things I could have done, I’m determined to look forward. I owe this resolution to my brother Carl, and I’ve been making it pretty successfully for a number of years. Here it is:
No more coulda, shoulda, wouldas: I coulda done that if I tried. I shoulda done that and it would have made such a difference in my life. I woulda done that if only I had (fill in the blank).
Anguishing over what could have been is such a time waster and morale killer. I’m not a perfect person and no doubt my business could be better, my life could be better and I could be better. But you know what? I’ve got it pretty good. I had a personal loss this past year, when my beloved husband died. But what a great 33 years we had together! And I learned, as if I didn’t already know it, that I am blessed with a wonderful family and friends. They are more precious than any amount of money.
The New Year brings with it new challenges for me. I’m looking forward to what will be, not at what could have been. So ring in the New Year. Life is looking good. Hope yours is, too.
Happy New Year!
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I think New Year’s is mainly a young person’s holiday. We old timers would not spend a cold evening out on the streets waiting for a large electric ball to start its decent.
I think I fell asleep around 9:00. But the nap refreshed me enough to last almost until 2:00 AM. And where was I after 1:00, back on the computer, again.
I remember New Years Day events of long ago. How it was time to watch all the bowl games or visit with friends and watch all the bowl games and play cards. I found myself on the computer, emailing clients, suppliers and prospects who were ALSO on their computers!
What has it all come down to? Getting our electronic ‘fixes’ 24/7/365?
You’re spot on, Jeannette. And that’s coming from someone who constantly struggles with “the tyranny of shoulds.” That can be more than just demoralizing…it can be downright paralyzing!
I loved Mimi Meredith’s post today on her Bloomin’ Blog (http://blog.thegoodnessgrows.com/), “This year, instead of resolving to do something new or to change something that seems unfavorable, I’d like to challenge us to look at what we are that is good and make it great.”
Happy New Year!