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  • January 25th, 2010
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Woody Guthrie’s new year’s resolutions

I’m lazy with resolutions. I give myself until the end of January to sort out any exceptional goals for the year, and as I settled on mine I stumbled across this one.

Apparently Woody Guthrie, one of my heroes, had a different problem. He didn’t seem to do too well with setting clear priorities. He lists 33 things for the year of 1942. Inspiring given the results, nevertheless.

Guthrie’s new years resolutions (from the official site), 1942:

  1. Work more and better
  2. Work by a schedule
  3. wash teeth if any
  4. shave
  5. take bath
  6. eat good – fruit – vegetables – milk
  7. drink very scant if any
  8. write a song a day
  9. wear clean clothes – look good
  10. Shine shoes
  11. Change socks
  12. Change bed clothes often
  13. Read lots good books
  14. Listen to radio a lot
  15. Learn people better
  16. Keep rancho clean
  17. Don’t get lonesome
  18. Stay glad
  19. Keep hoping machine running
  20. Dream good
  21. Bank all extra money
  22. Save Dough
  23. Have company but don’t waste time
  24. Send Mary and kids money
  25. Play and sing good
  26. Dance Better
  27. Hep win war – beat fascism
  28. Love Mama
  29. Love Papa
  30. Love Pete
  31. Love Everybody
  32. Make up your mind
  33. Wake up and Fight

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9 Responses

  • Dwayne Phillips - January 25, 2010 at 5:36 am #
  • Precious. Another wonderful example of what a journal or notebook can do for people – including yourself – even decades later.


  • Andreas Scherer - January 25, 2010 at 5:59 am #
  • Item 27: I certainly shall not bear fascism! I’d rather help win the war.


  • Oscar - January 25, 2010 at 10:57 am #
  • Wow, that’s a simple list. Very cool that you posted this. I like #3. Wash teeth… if any.

    #31 is good too and #33.

    #8 would be good for us bloggers… write a blogpost a day.


  • Joel D Canfield - January 25, 2010 at 1:11 pm #
  • #33 is the hardest, I think.

    As a self-declared epileptic rhino on the dance floor, I understand #26, but just don’t think a year is enough time.


  • Joe - January 25, 2010 at 5:05 pm #
  • I think #29 says “Love Papa”


  • melissa bernardi - January 26, 2010 at 6:19 pm #
  • Just the most beautiful thing. It has been an entertaining day reading what my friends chose as theirs.


  • Michal - February 4, 2010 at 3:53 am #
  • Soooo… What resolution(s) did *you* settle on?


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