So the New Year is upon us, resolutions are back to being something made rather than something ignored, and hope springs eternal. Sadly, for me, fever and stuffy head are also on the menu so I'm not sure I'll be partaking in the partying. Might just go out and see "True Grit" and then hit the hay.

As for resolutions, I think I'm just going to go with the standard Get in shape, Work harder and longer towards my goals, and, most importantly, just try to be a more upbeat and positive person. A coworker recently told me that she couldn't picture me being a peppy, upbeat person and that kind of stung. I didn't always used to be a curmudgeon and a bit of a grump. So in the New Year, it's going to be about positivity and productivity.

So with that in mind, here's the hastily thrown together New Year's Mix! (Available over at ITunes although I don't know how to embed playlist from there on here since Ping took over.)

1. Hollywood - Angus and Julia Stone: This song gets all of the pessimism of the old year out and ends with a lil' bit of hope.


2. Bye Bye Symphony - Foxy Shazam: Besides the fact that I love the chorus of "Life is a bitch but she's totally doable." The lyrics of this song are pretty great for the new year "Bye Bye Symphony, you were the soundtrack to my life. Bye Bye Symphony, there are no sad songs left to write." Now, obviously that's a bit TOO optimistic since they'll always be a few sad songs on the horizon but I like the sentiment. Also, when I find myself complaining too much (which is far too often), I should remember the line, "But what's the point of moaning; honey, leave that for the ghosts."


3. I Can Do That - The Futureheads: Because even when you're down, you have to remember that you can do it!


4. The Fixer - pearl jam: "If something's gone, I'm gonna fight to get it back again!" This song's pretty much a theme song for positivity.
5. Die Trying - Cee-Loo: The perfect follow-up to The Fixer, "There's no way and there's no how, I can stop now, I'mma die trying..." Adding the productivity to the positivity of this year's resolution.

6. Hope Child - Free Energy: This one fits perfectly because a) it basically references looking towards music for a little hope and b) it's all about keeping hope alive. Or, I think it is. I sure hope so.


7. The Day Brings - Brad: This one isn't on ITunes. It's from a Stone Gossard (of pearl jam) side project. This one is a staple of my mixes. Just a good mellow tune about taking things one day at a time and taking what the day delvers.


8. Don't Look Back - Fine Young Cannibals: I have a HUGE problem with focusing on past mistakes and fixating on regrets, something that I really need to work on this year. This also seems fitting since I too would drive my car but don't have a car to drive.


9. This is the Life - The Futureheads: Besides the fact that "it's a great to see a smile on your miserable face" always puts a smile on my own face, it's another song to kind of remind me and you to focus on the everyday or rather the actual day since yesterday is gone and tomorrow never comes. In the end, "This is the life. This is what you've been waiting for."
10. Unstoppable - Foxy Shazam: Because this year, "We are unstoppable. We can't be defeated!"

So Happy New Year! (And no, just because I'm aiming for more positivity doesn't mean that I'm not going to blog about things that annoy me or point out problems wherever I find them. I'm just not going to let those issues steal my focus off of my goals.