One of my coworkers brought to my attention a very interesting and timely article in the British newspaper The Guardian, titled, "Abandon Resolutions. Stop Looking for a Soulmate. Reject Positive Thinking." The tag line underneath states that it's full of advice on "how to be a better person in 2011."
Indeed, the article is full of advice on living better, though it's not what you might expect of a new year's article on self-improvement and being happier. Here's the practical, logical, non-traditional advice dispensed by this thought-provoking piece:
1. Abandon your New Year's resolutions, today.
2. Stop looking for your soulmate.
3. Overhaul your information diet (but don't starve).
4. Self-improvement: Track your personal data.
5. Volunteer (even though [British Prime Minister] David Cameron wants you to).
6. Reject positive thinking.
7. Make dinner, make furniture, make an effort.
8. Don't take frugality too far.
9. Befriend your friends' friends.
10. Creativity: Make one small change to your workspace.
You'll have to read the article to see what its author, Oliver Burkeman, has to say about each of these topics. The common thread among them is that life is meant to be lived, in a measured, thoughtful way, not fretted and frittered away in a string of intense micro-bursts of striving for perfection. Amen to that!
On to a wonderful 2011.
2 comments:
fascinating... you can tell i have energy right now because i'm actually commenting. i even sent this out to a few people...
Lovely article, thanks for sharing!
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