The slight sluggishness that comes with the first week of January.

We’re here, 2012. It’s happening. There is such a huge fanfare that accompanies the end of each year that, despite my repeated choice to avoid extra fancy dress parties on the holidays, I still feel that January 1st is supposed to bring and entirely new life with it. We somehow expect that in January of a new year all the issues of the past year will melt away, we will follow all of our resolutions and be better, more effective people. Is this reasonable? I did not see 127 Hours, but when I started to think about making resolutions, it was with the same amount of enthusiasm that I am sure James Franco’s character felt when he knew it was time to lose the arm.

What it has repeatedly proved to be is intimidating and somewhat depressing when I find myself wearing the same clothes, thinking the same thoughts and not reclining on the bow of a yacht celebrating the release of my latest hit novel.

So perhaps what we need is an entirely new approach to this New Year’s thing. 2011 brought us occupy Wall Street, expressing genuine dissatisfaction with the way things have been running. I think I might want to occupy New Year’s.

I have written about New Year’s resolutions before. How I think resolutions are nasty things, full of guilt. As a self-professed list addict, it’s been hard to not have a fresh new list in hand this January. Think of the possibilities for a list addict: birthday list and New Year’s list! More things to check off that will make life a different, more shiny experience.

But what is that approach of constant betterment and improvement and change based on the assumption that life is never enough and can always be better means that nothing is every really all that enjoyable in the end.

So, despite the terror that this creates, I will have no resolutions this 2012, save one: get rid of a lot of stuff. I think the amount of stuff in my space is clogging my ability to be fresh and clear and open to new experiences. I want to be able to figure out what I want to do and be right now, not what I think this new item or book or widget will allow me to be.

I think we’re sluggish in January because we are crushed to the ground with the weight of all the expectations of who we’re supposed to be and, presumably, who we aren’t already. Haven’t we missed the boat in assessing who we actually are? What if that person turns out to be exactly what we wanted in the first place.

So… join me! Let’s Occupy New Year’s. No resolutions. Clear out the crap and live lighter and freer. That feels much less sluggish to me.