XKCD on New Year's resolutions

Today's XKCD is holds wise advice for those of us contemplating New Year's resolutions. Be sure to click through for the tool-tip bonus punchline.

Resolution

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

MORE: Comics • Funny • holidays • new year's • webcomics

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headcode

Yep. I long ago stopped making New Year’s resolutions. I realized they were so artificial and short lived as to only contribute to making me feel worse about myself. Now resolutions come as inspired thoughts rather than required thoughts.
- princessalex
  
  I’m right there with you. My coworkers really don’t get this. They see it as my giving up trying to set new goals or aspirations for myself. On the contrary — I’m constantly in the process of learning something new, or working on new habits, or improving something about myself that’s really important to me.
  
  Right now, for instance, I’m starting grad school a week after I turn 45. And, I’m learning how to juggle and make my own jewelry. I’m wanting to throw in (re)learning Spanish, but that may be pushing it for now. :-)
  
  For me, giving up these contrived special situations under which I’m supposed to set new goals for myself actually opened it up for me to do that ANYtime! And, now, I’m constantly in progress with something new!
  - headcode
    
    Right on! I went back to grad school at about that age, so you have my admiration on that and your general attitude toward learning.
jtiii

Reading this made the blood rush from my extremities. I love XKCD but never have I felt so strongly that I was the stick person in the strip. I don’t know what hit me harder – the realization that I’m not the only one yelling at myself and thinking I’m fixing things but really just 20 Goto 10, or the punch line implying that I(we) may not escape.
http://twitter.com/beep54orama B E Pratt

Too bad the roll-over is missing here. That’s what makes any xkcd comic complete. Took me a little while to notice them, though :)
http://tryingsense.blogspot.com/ R_Young

Nonsense to all you Haters; New Years is as good a time as any to set new goals. Of course many fail at them. Of course they can be counter-productive. But a goal is better than no goal, 9 times out of 9-point-something small.