At the risk of sounding like a Grinch… I never make New Year’s resolutions. It just seems so arbitrary to pick January 1 to make major changes in one’s life. If something is worth doing—indeed, if it’s worthy enough to merit a pledge—then surely it’s worth doing on April 25, July 19, or whatever date you make your decision. Plus, does anyone really keep their New Year’s resolutions? Does anybody heroically turn over a new leaf on 1/1 and make it permanent? Or do we declare resolutions just to make ourselves feel good? The internet is full of well-intentioned New Year’s resolution templates and tracker apps. However, the meme-generating wizards appear to share my cynicism: I do enjoy the holiday season. I celebrate Christmas in a secular sort of way, with emphasis on generosity, goodwill, the marking of the solstice with a tree covered in bling, and the eating of delicious fattening treats. So every year I make about seventeen thousand cookies and then drive around ...