Resolve to learn new things. Sign up for cooking classes, dance lessons, or learn to tend bar. A class you sign up for in advance will get you out of the house, no excuses, and it will almost always lead to something fabulous.

For me, there is two parts to this resolution. Besides the things I will get to learn, I also want to learn them in some kind of class environment, outside of the house, preferably something I have to sign up for. Knowing my lazy ways, if I just try to, say, learn a new language through audiobooks on my own, I will never follow through.

So, here’s a few of the things I’d like to consider learning this year:

Cooking

I took a one-day cooking class last year with a couple of friends, and it was a wonderful experience. It was a different and fun way to hang out with friends, for one, and we got to make some wonderful food that we got to sample at the end, while drinking wine and having a delicious time.

Most cities and some small towns have cooking classes to offer. If you can’t find one in your area, or if they’re just too expensive, consider getting some friends together at someone’s house (preferably someone with a large kitchen, plenty of equipment, etc.) and go through a couple recipes from a beginner-level cookbook. I’m a fan of Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything — simple recipes explained well for all kinds of good eats.

Dance lessons

I’ve been dancing around the idea of learning Argentine Tango for years. It’s a delightful dance, smooth, romantic, or cheerful and energetic, depending on the mood of the music and the dancers. Plus, I’m a big fan of any hobby where I get to wear heels and pretty dresses.

If you don’t have a partner to learn with, that’s usually okay. Check with the studio to see if they have partners rotate during classes. If you’re not comfortable learning such a “romantic” dance with strangers, try searching for a Lindy Hop class or Salsa lessons. These dances are generally more social by nature.

Dancing is something very near and dear to my heart; I’ve been a performing dancer and an instructor in several different styles. If the tango thing doesn’t pan out, maybe I’ll take belly dance classes, or flamenco! Wouldn’t that be fabulous?

Rock Climbing

I don’t know why I want to take a rock climbing class, maybe because I play too many video games where my character scales the sides of buildings.

I think it would be a great way for me to gain upper body strength and challenge my body and mind in new and very different ways.

Other ideas:

Bar Tending or Barista Training

This one isn’t for me, but I have a friend who thought learning to tend bar would be pretty cool, so I thought I’d throw it in. I didn’t know there was such a thing as bar tending classes, but a gal who cut my hair the other day told me all about the bar tending class she was taking.

Some cities also offer barista training, which I learned to do in high school when I worked at a coffee shop. It was really fun — we made our own whipped cream and chocolate from scratch, and served lattés in glasses so you could see how if you pour the espresso and the milk carefully, they sit in distinct layers. (Was milk heavier than espresso, or the other way around? I can’t remember, but it was pretty!)

Photography

I took photography in high school, developing my own black and white film, working with manual cameras and lenses, the works. It’s much easier (and less expensive) these days with digital photography. I purchased a used Nikon D40 camera and an inexpensive 50mm lens and can take a really high quality photo or experiment with creative ideas.

Life Drawing

I’ve taken several drawing classes in my time, and found life drawing to be the most interesting. If you have the chance to take a class, you should definitely give it a go. It’s amazing what we tell ourselves we can’t do (“I can’t draw”) when we’ve never really even tried.

If this sounds interesting, also check out the book The Creative License: Giving Yourself Permission to Be The Artist You Truly Are by Danny Gregory. It’s a lovely story about a man finding his creative spirit through sketching, and is very inspiring.

A few more ideas: Take voice lessons, guitar lessons, or sewing lessons. Never stop learning. What do you want to learn this year?

Related posts:

1. New Year’s Resolutions for the Fabulously Lazy

It was an inexpensive basic article of clothing (pencil skirt! I’m on a pencil skirt rampage!), and with the package she included a little handwritten thank you note on pretty stationary, with a hand-drawn sketch of a rose, and a tiny little origami crane.

The skirt may or may not fit, I might forget it in a couple of months, but the note I will remember. I’m inspired, and if I didn’t already think so, now I definitely think she is fabulous!

There are little things you can do, every day, and as cliché as it sounds, they really do mean a lot.

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I am a creature of comfort, and I do appreciate indulging in my lazy side now and again. Thinking back on my best memories, though, the ones that stand out are those that are unique.

This should be fairly obvious. Doing interesting and unique things will lead to an interesting and unique life. It stimulates ideas for further interesting and unique things, keeping the creative juices flowing, and creating a cycle that feeds upon itself to further increase fabulousness in one’s life. That’s why my second resolution is to be open to new experiences.

Resolve to be open to new experiences. If you always go out to the same restaurants and bars, try new ones, or stay in and host a game night instead. If you always watch movies, look in your local paper to find some live theatre or a live concert to attend.

Did you ever see that Jim Carrey movie, Yes Man? It was a cute romantic comedy that illustrates this concept extravagantly: Jim Carrey plays the ultimate creature of habit, who is taken to the opposite extreme, being unable to say “no” to anything. This leads him to meet the adorably quirky Zooey Deschanel character, ridiculousness and hilarity ensues, so on and so forth.

It’s a bit over the top, but it’s a good way to set my frame of mind for this resolution. If an opportunity comes up, I should think twice before saying “no.” Is this something I don’t want to do because I don’t want to step outside my comfort zone? If so, it may be worth taking that step, just to see where it may lead.

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Many people idolize Audrey Hepburn. I don’t always think of her as “fabulous”, but she was definitely lovely, graceful, and she seems very kind. Put a lovely girl in a tiara and a Givenchy gown, or a gigantic hat and huge sunglasses, and now you have fabulous.

Coincidentally, while searching for an image of Audrey, I found a blog post at The Positivity Blog quoting some great “Words of Wisdom” from Ms. Hepburn. I’ll take this as further proof that a positive outlook and a fabulous reputation go hand in hand.

On the flip side, think of those whiny, catty women from reality television. No matter how extravagant or fashionable their clothes and hair, I’m never going to look at a woman like that and say “she is fabulous!”

As your resident lazy girl, I know I often fall prey to mood swings. It takes a lot of effort to be positive, and it doesn’t always come natural to me. But when I realized how this positive attitude is tied to a fabulous life, I found my motivation, and made it my first New Year’s resolution of 2010.

1. Resolve to have a positive attitude. Be polite, smile often. Curb the complaints; if something is not to your liking, change it. If you can’t do anything about it, don’t dwell on it. Try to find the humor in life’s little mishaps.

1. Be polite. Say please and thank you. Remember manners? I love the idea of bringing back old-fashioned etiquette guidelines. I’m going to be checking in with Etiquette Grrl Honore’s blog, and might pick up one or two books from the The Fabulous Girl’s Guide series. Please let me know if you come across a great guide for modern etiquette.
2. Smile often. There have been days where I haven’t smiled all day long. This is a result of a mundane life, so not fabulous! Even if I’m tired, going through the motions of the daily grind, I’m going to look for things that make me smile. I’m going to try to smile, even if I don’t have a reason.
3. Curb the complaints. Sometimes laziness makes me a whiner. Whining gets me nowhere, except further away from fabulous. Next time I find myself with something to complain about, I’m going to look at it this way: Can I do something about this? If the answer is “yes” I will do it. If the answer is “no,” complaining isn’t going to do me any good. I will shrug, laugh it off, and move on.
4. Find humor in life’s little mishaps. Having a sense of humor is a major piece of the fabulous puzzle. Be willing to laugh at yourself if you make a mistake. Nothing is ever perfect, and sometimes that can be part of the fun. Try not to dwell on the negative. Need help? Here’s a theme song that might make you chuckle.

Related posts:

1. New Year’s Resolutions for the Fabulously Lazy

1. Resolve to have a positive attitude. Be polite, smile often. Curb the complaints; if something is not to your liking, change it. If you can’t do anything about it, don’t dwell on it. Try to find the humor in life’s little mishaps.

2. Resolve to be open to new experiences. If you always go out to the same restaurants and bars, try new ones, or stay in and host a game night instead. If you always watch movies, look in your local paper to find some live theatre or a live concert to attend.

3. Resolve to learn new things. Sign up for cooking classes, dance lessons, or learn to tend bar. A class you sign up for in advance will get you out of the house, no excuses, and it will almost always lead to something fabulous.

4. Resolve to plan some social outings with friends, rather than always letting friends do all the work. When you make the plans, you don’t have the option to skip out because you’d rather be lazy and stay home. And you can make sure you all have a fabulous time, instead of just the same old thing you always end up doing.

5. Resolve to put your best face forward. Dress up, if only just a little. Put on something fabulous. Do something with your hair. Don’t worry what “everybody else” will be wearing. It’s okay to stand out from the crowd a little, and you’ll feel great.

These are some general ideas. In future posts, I’m going to go into detail on each one, share some specific ways I’ll be meeting each of these resolutions. Did you make any fabulous resolutions this year?

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