I'm Not Setting A Single Resolution This Year

Instead, this is what I'm doing...

I’ve not only stopped making New Year’s resolutions, I’ve ditched New Year’s intentions, goals and aspirations too. It’s not that I don’t like a clean slate as much as the next woman, but I’m opting out of the illusion that my life needs to be optimized any more than it already is. There’s only so much tinkering I can handle.

I already:

• Try to go to the gym several days a week (though my year-end-review from my gym said I only went 1.3 times/week in 2025)

• Attempt to read for an hour before bed

• Set aside 3-4 writing days/week even if I only write for 20 minutes

• Obsess over whether I’m using the “right” skincare products in the most beneficial order

• Swing wildly between thinking I should be trying to “scale” my business and being content with it just the way it is

• Worry that I’m parenting too gently or not gently enough or just the right amount of gentle but at all the wrong times

• Lose sleep over how much more of my already depleted bandwidth I should be giving to my husband and then feel enraged because there’s nothing left in my tank for me at the end of the day

• Wonder what I should be eating, or not eating, to keep my body strong as I age but also curb the inevitable bumps and lumps that appear no matter what I do

• Agonize over how I can find more time in the day/week/year to spend more time with the family/friends I love while also being concerned that I’m not doing enough to build new/more community

How much more tinkering can I handle? (Not much)

And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Instead, I’ve been thinking about curiosity. What if I listened to that voice/urge/feeling/inner prodding that pointed me towards whatever’s feeling juicy at the moment? What if I bought the book about what plants could teach us about life on Earth not for any reason but because something inside me screams YES when I see it? What if I take the ceramics class because I’ve always wanted to try it even if I suck and never even build a pot (and everything looks lopsided and wonky)? What if my mind is saying write about that summer in Paris but I have no idea why because nothing really happened and I’m sure it’s just a waste of time?

Society tells us we don’t have time to play in the sandbox. We’re told we need to be experts at everything or it’s not worth it. We quash our curiosity and dampen our desires out of duty and obligation to our families and our paychecks and all the other stuff of life. But what if our curiosity is life? What if we let our curiosity become our inner compass?

What then?

In the world of capitalism, curiosity becomes a hindrance. We respond to our own curiosity with judgement and contempt. Ugh, we say. That’s the dumbest idea ever. Everyone’s going to laugh at us and think we’re crazy if we write/say/do that. Or maybe the most pernicious of all: who has the time for that?

So this will be the year that I try to let myself follow my curiosity. Not perfectly. But messily. Not because it will help me be a better person or look better or even be better for others. But because it will show me what’s underneath the shoulda, woulda and coulda and point me to someplace a lot more vibrant and energizing.

Anyone want to join me?

xo, Ruthie

Wishing you a happy 2026!

Last call for my winter writing classes! If this is the year that you finally write the book proposal you have been dreaming of, or simply want accountability and community in your writing practice, Ignite Writers Collective has a class for you.

January Jumpstart: Writing for Non-Writers is for anyone looking to play in the sandbox of their creativity. Through in-class exercises, optional homework assignments, one-on-one workshopping of long-form pieces, a magical mystery box of supplemental reading and listening recommendations, and more, you’ll find a sustainable writing flow that will allow you to generate work like you never have before. We meet every Tuesday from 2-4pm ET starting January 13th.

There are still a few spots left for my Book Proposal Intensive launching Wednesday, 1/14. If you want to turn your book idea into a book deal in 2026, this class will walk you through the steps to write a book proposal that actually sells. Learn more.