A resolution you can handle

The concept of celebrating the New Year is all about fresh beginnings and moving on from the past. And while we don’t necessarily let go all the past, we want to leave behind the things we aren’t happy with, things that have made us sad, the personal and professional failures and all the unwanted baggage we don’t need.

There are a lot of terms for this—turning over a new leaf or starting a new chapter—but it is about a fresh start and clearing out the clutter from our minds and our souls. One of the wonders of humanity is that we each have the ability to do this. Some of us just need a starting point, and January 1 is a great marker for initiating change.

Think about it. The New Year is a great time to hit the reset button on our lives. But it is not just about quitting bad habits, dieting or exercising, making amends with family or even reaching out to other people. The New Year is about making a difference in our lives, however large or small. This is our opportunity, and it’s all about commitment.

Don’t make your resolution as trivial as not complaining that the toothpaste tube isn’t capped. Don’t promise that you are quitting smoking without the expectation of withdrawal. And don’t promise to love others without the realization that there are many jerks in the world and that with your efforts will come trials and frustrations.

Moreover, make this year’s commitment something you can handle, something simple and pure that will give you joy and light to carry with you and share with others. Let’s choose quality over quantity this year. Let’s get rid of the resolutions list that’s a vague mishmash of broad ambitions and aspirations in favor of more targeted, meaningful and achievable goals.

Remember, don’t be a slave to your New Year’s resolution or look at it as a way to fix yourself. Look at the New Year with new possibilities and how you want to achieve them.

Speaking of New Year and opportunities, you can expect to see some new features, new products and new events from 225 in 2014. We are working on the finishing touches, and we know you will enjoy them.

We’ve received lots of feedback from readers this past year, and we are working now to add some new touches to our food and dining out coverage. Also: Mark your calendar for May 1, and just put down “BIG 225 Event.” It will be at the Shaw Center for the Arts, and we’ll have full details in our next issue!

Other than Best of 225 in July, our People to Watch edition is one of our most exciting recurring issues each year. This year’s dynamic and eclectic group of locals is no exception.

You’ve seen rising PGA golfer and LSU alum John Peterson on our cover. He is joined inside this issue by another 13 Baton Rougeans, each of whom is making an impact and challenging the status quo in unique ways. Our editorial team has profiled these 14 individuals, and staff photographer Collin Richie captured their essences on camera with his series of striking studio portraits. Meet our selections and read about how they are inspiring, changing and challenging Baton Rouge.

We all fall down in life. What’s important is that we get back up. That is a lesson for all of us, both young and old, and few people exemplify this concept with as much grace and fight as young Jewel Smith. After breaking her ankle, she worked for months and months to recover and return to her love of dance with the help of family, friends and her instructors at Danse Noir, a local studio. Read Jewel’s fascinating story, written by contributor Sydney Blanchard.

When a little sweat meets a lot of ingenuity, interesting things can happen. Fitnotix, a local tech startup, is banking on that. Founded by Justin Waller and Drew Langhart, the business has a nifty GPS running app already on the market and is set to launch an ambitious new Life Coaching app this spring. The software for mobile devices is aimed at helping users reach their fitness and healthy eating goals. Read editor Jeff Roedel’s feature on Fitnotix and its creators.

Things are about to get a little more odd in Baton Rouge—in a good way!—with the arrival this month of Baton Rouge Gallery’s annual Surreal Salon art show and Surreal Salon Soiree costume party. The art show, featuring 75 new works chosen from 180 entries, hangs Jan. 2–31, with the Soiree set for Jan. 25 at the gallery in City Park. Read all about it in Benjamin Leger’s story.