Ahhhh, 2019 is here at last.  A new year, a new beginning, right?  Time to make all of those resolutions and promises to ourselves on how THIS is the year we’ll do better in some aspect of our lives, right?  This is the year I get into shape – or – this is the year I get my finances in order.

Lose weight, stop drinking, be better to my fellow man – the list is endless, and we have high hopes and good intentions on that first day of January.

Sadly, we are all human, and many of the best intentions don’t make it much further than the end of that pork and sauerkraut dinner we just overindulged on for New Year’s Day (over-eating again?  Strike one).

Ask anyone who works out at the local gym, January is like the holidays at Walt Disney World – lots of long lines at all of the attractions, but fear not – for come February, it’s a different story.  There’s plenty of time to get your reps in on the leg machine once Groundhog Day arrives, because the only thing you’ll be competing against is the blare of the sound system as it echoes and bounces off of empty walls.

I generally try to pick something simple to resolve to do better at come the new year.  This year it was to clean up my language.  I work in the Receiving Area of a Home Improvement store, and let me tell you something – pound for pound, we’re world champions when it comes to swearing.  Long, colorful, and absolutely filthy expletives pour forth from us at every turn during an eight hour shift.  It’s impressive, it’s sometimes artistic – and it’s not for the faint of heart.  I’ll put it this way, I wouldn’t want my mother to hear me back there.

So this year, on my first drive to work early on January 1^st, I told myself – “You know what?  I’m not going to curse as much at work this year.”  I felt good.  I smiled and hummed along with the radio.  All was right with the world.

Then I pulled into the parking lot at 6:50 that morning.  Not a light on in the building.  Only three other cars in the lot.  I saw my boss sitting in the car to my right, another co-worker in the car to my left.  As we got out, I said “what gives?”

“Ohh, we don’t open until 9:00 this morning.”

“Well what kind of f#^%*ing bull@$&! is that?  Why the f&*^ are we here so god@#$n early then?” came my reply.

Adios, 2019 resolution – I barely knew ye.

Oh well, there’s always 2020.

What kind of resolutions have you made for 2019?  Are you sticking with them?  Drop me a note in the comments below!