What are we going to write about in January?

December provides easy fodder for writing. Family - I mean, just right there one can mine a plethora of - what should I call it? - stuff; the holidays (however you celebrate) and the frantic preparations therefor; the hopes and inevitable disappointments; and stress mixed with swirls of joy and lots of good food - if you're lucky. There's a lot to work with here.

And then January happens and we zip up. Why? There's nothing going on in January except cleaning up after December and New Years Resolutions. Because we've all made promises and we figure it's better to keep quiet lest we admit to our failure on those promises. You know it's going to happen. Have you ever kept a New Year's Resolution?

Here are the resolutions you keep: the ones without dates assigned to them. Case in point - if you say, "my diet starts Monday" and it's Friday when you make that promise you've also just scheduled three days of excuses before you've even started. If the goal includes by it's very creation the excuses to avoid it, whatever it is you think you've promised will never happen.

That's just how goals work. They're a little like babies - they will suck the very life out of you. Too strong? I don't know - the reality is, babies and goals - the ones you mean to keep - have to take unprecedented priority in your life or they'll just - well, die.

I'm just saying, why wait? Start today. Otherwise, you're setting yourself up for failure. Some goals die. Others fizzle out. But unless it's important enough to do something about it - today - well, good luck is all I can say.

And, if you're not ready to start today? Then wait to make that promise until you are.

Because, you can do anything. If you really want to.