I know I said I didn’t believe in New Year’s resolutions, but I secretly made one this year: to learn to be more moderate. Towards the end of last year, I found myself losing control. Perhaps it was because I was taking on too much and trying to be too many things for too many people. I was stressed out, more irritable, less tolerant, and harder on myself than ever before. And you know what? It felt really unhealthy. Somewhere deep in my mind, I knew I was pushing myself too much, taking on too much, but I didn’t know how to break free from the cycle. I wasn’t having fun. I felt like I was self-destructing, drowning.

Well, this year, I made a pact with myself to gain control of my life. To learn how to take breathers, to learn how to enjoy downtime, and to learn how to enjoy, yes, even work. One month into my resolution and I find myself enjoying life so much more. I’m a very anxious person by nature (sometimes I feel like my motto should be ‘sweating the small stuff since 1994′) and I probably always will be, but I feel like I’m getting better at being more moderate (and hey, it’s always a work in progress).

The world won’t fall apart because one thing doesn’t go my way and no one’s going to murder me in my sleep if I say ‘no’ to taking on a project. And it feels good. Real good. Because there’s so much more to life than being a pendulum swinging out of control. And life’s too short to spend worrying the days away.

Did you make any resolutions this year? How are they coming along?

graphic by asia pietrzyk for drifter & the gypsy