The Year of No

I never create New Year's resolutions, instead, each year I come up with a new theme for that year.

It started off back in 2006 when I embarked on The Year of Yes where I kept myself open and said "Yes" to any reasonable opportunities and dates. Thus, I said yes to a date with some financial guy I met at a bar, which led me on a bad date on the upper east side and on the E train where I met Raphael and when he asked for my phone number I said "yes" and later when he asked me to move to Los Angeles. :) Don't worry, I didn't say yes to everything a guy asked me to do that year, lol.

I then had The Year for the Real Thing, The Year of Smiles, The Year of My Career and The Year of Babies, etc. I find it motivates me to focus and strive for it. I also believe it's like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

For 2014 I am declaring it "The Year of No!" No, I'm not going to be negative or do the opposite of my Year of Yes. It's just that I'm going to start saying "no" to things that I simply don't want to do. Instead, choosing to do what's best for me and my family.

I was forwarded a Huffington Post article 40 Things I Can Do at 40 That I Couldn't Do When I Was 20. Although I'm only 31 (yikes first time writing that number), I was mentally checking off most of the items as I breezed through them. Then, I saw #36 Say "no" to stuff and I paused. Interesting. I then thought of some recent stress in my life and realized I couldn't fully claim this one.

Thus, this year I'm going to say no when I can and be a bit selfish at times despite guilt trips or unwanted obligations. Saying no to blogger events that I don't want to cover or write about. My goal isn't to be a tool though, just not over commit myself either or regret saying yes, wasting my time, etc.  

What's your theme going to be this year?