Music Minute - Top 10 New Years Resolutions You Shouldn't Make

Y'all, I can't find any new music to talk about this time, so I made a list of things your new year's goals should not be about. Hope it makes you laugh.

Ten Things You Really Don't Need To Resolve To Do In The New Year:

1. Ignore people. Y'all, this is a great time to work on your basic manners. If a friend takes the time to call you, call back. If you get invited to a party, you should reply one way or the other—or you're being rude. (If it's a formal invitation, try to send your reply within 24 hours.) Don't text one friend while another is telling you her problems. Don't ignore it when your mom tells you to do something. (Do I need to tell y'all this?)

2. Snoop more. Honestly, it's best if you leave some questions unanswered—and some doors, drawers, and diaries closed. (Actually, leave ALL the diaries closed.)

3. Slack, slack, slack. We aren't saying you have to work yourself to death, but y'all, don't be slackers. Take some time to figure out what the Lord is calling you to do...and do it.

4. Skip church. (There used to be a weatherman around here named Skip Church, y'all believe that?) Being a part of your church community is important. Even if you don't feel like it, you should go.

5. Be sloppy, smelly, dirty, greasy, stringy, or unkempt. Now really, I know this sounds like your mom...but I also know y'all can be neat and clean and reasonably presentable with very little work. Do not wear that shirt if it smells iffy, and try to air out your gym bag on a regular basis. Shower, brush your teeth, wash your face, brush your hair, and shave on a regular basis.

6. Be messy and disorganized, and lose things you need more often. Try spending ten minutes a day straightening your room and you'll never have to spend three days in a panic during exam week turning it upside down looking for your calculator. (An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of digging.) We aren't saying you have to be completely organized, but finding an organizing system that works for you will save you lots of heartache. Also, keep up with your assignments and schoolwork by becoming a creature of habit. If you get in the habit of writing something in your planner as soon as you hear about it, then all you have to remember is to look at your planner. If you're a filer, keep your files neat and organized. And if you're a piler, make an effort to be sure that what is in your piles is up-to-date and together.

7. Be rude. TV shows always have that one tough-guy character who is willing to say what he thinks. That is TV. In reality, the person you sass today will probably be hurt by it for a long time. Friends are worth more than enemies. Don't make enemies needlessly by being ill-mannered. And if you think rude is funny, ask yourself why you think that.

8. Don't bother to learn anything. (Y'all, back in 9th grade algebra I remember thinking "I don't know why I am paying attention. I'm going to be an artist—why would I need math?" And in that sort of poetic-justice smackdown you see all the time in the movies, I use math every single day in my job as an artist. X and Y coordinates, ratios, and geometry are part of the life of a designer. I am so embarrassed.)

9. Be careless. From driving skills to homework habits, being careless is not a skill you want to have. Try to do things well, even things like washing your face. Being careless will get you broken dishes, scratched cell phones, stained clothes, and sprained ankles. Straighten your towel on the towel bar. Pick up after yourself. Look where you put your feet. Take care and a little bit of pride in how you do things.

10. Forget about life skills. We already covered manners, being clean, and staying relatively organized, but what about little-things life skills like knowing how to have a conversation with someone older than you? You should be able to do that without sounding like a goof, right? What if (heaven forbid) your parents took you to a nice dinner or a concert? Would you know how to dress and behave? What about when you're representing your team, your church, or your family? Conduct is important—far more important than it might seem to most teens. I resented my parents a lot for making me go to the theater, concerts or ballets when I was a kid, or for insisting that I use good table manners at everyday dinners. But honestly, the first time I went out as an adult to a concert, or the time I interviewed for my job at ec over lunch in a restaurant with the boss, I thanked God my parents made me do all that boring stuff. Don't resent that kind of training. You will absolutely, positively use it someday.

That's it for now! In 2 weeks I hope there will be some new albums to write about! Until then, remember you can't/won't do everything perfectly. Just keep doing your best and good things will become habits over time. You can do it!