WELCOME TO 2012!

So what’s your New Year resolution, then? Have you promised to visit the gym for more than just checking out hot guys? Will you be giving up a bad habit, setting new money goals, (trying to) get along better with your boss, or resisting the seductive calls of a double-chocolate cake? Me? My resolution this year is to do as little as possible. I must admit that my original plan wasn’t to spend 2012 being laid-back. My initial resolution was one giant to-do list with names of people to meet, missions to accomplish, and a gazillion tasks that should have been done last year. But then, I read about a growing global trend called The Slow Movement, which tells us we really need to stop living like a movie in fast-forward mode.

Many of us are constantly starved for time— we’re always on the run, striving to achieve goals, and competing to be better and rise faster than others. And when we reach the finish line, it’s often to only find a new list of things waiting to be done. That’s plain exhausting! Instead, says The Slow Movement, we need to stop packing our day with a million things, turn that Blackberry off for a bit, and basically just slow the heck down.

I was sold on the concept the moment I learned about it. Doing fewer things means freeing up more time, which I can spend on things I really want to do—shopping, connecting with friends and family, travelling, shopping, watching trashy television, and shopping. And this combination of taking it easy and doing things you enjoy, is, apparently, the true secret to happiness. Turns out, ‘Lazy’ isn’t such a dirty word after all, and it’s going to be my personal catchphrase through 2012!

Have a wonderful New Year,