NYC Writers, Artists, and Socials Share Their New Years Resolutions

by Rachelle Hruska · December 31, 2008

New Years is a time for reflection. And to help end the year 2008, a year in which we saw our most positive growth yet, I called on some of my "Guests" that have helped make Guest of a Guest a success. Here's what their resolutions were (if you don't know who the person is, click on their name for more about them): - Emily Giffin (NYT bestselling author): "No more texting while driving. Same as last year."

Patrick McMullan (Photographer): "Mine is to relax and work more on patience."

Lelaine Lau (403 Founder): "No more older men!!"

Steve Lewis (Nightlife legend and BlackBook writer): "My resolution is to be true to my school , happy with what I have and to help those around me to the best of my abilities."

Bess Levin (Editor in Chief, Dealbreaker): "Dealbreaker's resolution is to convince Morgan Stanley to unblock us!"

Anisha Lakhani (Bestselling author of "Schooled"): "To be the best friend I can be to the people I love, and to learn to embrace my new life."

More resolutions below:

Keith Lissner (Designer): "My New Year's Resolution is to live in today."

Peter Davis (Paper Magazine editor):"My resolution this year is to fight until gays can marry in all 50 states."

Ben Fink Shapiro (Photographer): "Working out enough to obtain a six-pack that is visible through my massive amount of chest hair."

Kristian Laliberte (Heir Apparent): "Lose weight, restore my faith, and exclude the hate."

Stephanie Wei (social): "My New Year's Resolution is to make better, wiser decisions....and for 2009 to be the best year yet!!!"

Teddy van Beuren (social): "To ask her out."

Serena Merriman (ASMALLWORLD) "Less of the good, more of the bad."

Timo Weiland (Designer): "In 2009..... I am planning to attend more film and music festivals, especially in faraway destinations. Also, am planning to read and immerse myself in works written by the one and only Kristian Laliberte~ be on the lookout as he has books, guides, and articles coming out in the New Year!"

Micah Jesse (social): "To patch up broken friendships."

Jen Gatien (Film Producer): "In 2009, I will rescue another dog and devote time to the Lower East Side Girls Club. Under the advice of concerned loved ones, I will wean myself off my total maniacal dependency on my iphone."

Richard Blakeley (Gawker): "My new years resolution is to generally be more awesome which may prove difficult because I'm pretty awesome already. Also I want to work on being more modest."

Kerry Cassidy (social):"My new year's resolution is to 'spread the love'. I plan to follow through with my resolution by letting those in my life know how grateful I am for their presense, by being more accepting, more open minded, expressing my happiness for others achievements, letting negative energy roll off my shoulders and never going to bed mad; life is too short!"

Chris Brady (social): "My New Years resolution this year is to be meaner to people."

Jules Kirby (social): "To finish what I have started and to make every year better than the last."

NYBarfly (website): "To drink less. We plan on staying dry on Tuesday afternoons (from 3 – 6 pm)."

Emma Snowdon-Jones (social): "Of course I want to make and keep the obvious resolutions; the ones that pass from year to year without ever truly getting resolved. They may exist only to seek attention, to make one recognize that they do certain things to excess (smoking, drinking) or other things not enough (exercise, correspondence) I will try to work on my vices and right the wrongs that are the theme of every New Years resolution."

Alex Adler (Princeton social): "stop living in transit, e.g. spend more than a week straight at school!"

Kelley Hoffman (social): "For 2009 I'm aiming to revel/chronicle as much as I can during this strange, yet marvelous, dionysian/apollonian cultural shift."

Jason Rogers (Olympic Fencer): "1) revamp my training plan to blast into the 2009 fencing season 2) attend all 5 of my close friends’ weddings that are happening in the next few months 3) spend more time visiting my parents in LA…oh yeah, and 4) stop going to sleep at 4 am every night."

Sabine Heller (ASMALLWORLD): "To work on a project that's entirely personal and about which I'm passionate."

Ha Ha Sound (writer): "I resolve not to make my friends in the investment community feel badly for having wrecked the economy. Instead, I'm just going to ask them to move someplace else."

Carter Cramer (social): "Naturally I've been reading the Olsen twin's coffee table book, Influence, these past couple of months, and it has definitely made me want to be more creative and fun with fashion in the New Year. So that--and seriously cutting back on the number of Equal packets I go through each day....."

Summer Rej (social): "To live each day of 2009 to the fullest and hopefully have many amazing memories to bring into 2010!"

Shawn McDonald (social): "To spend more time in Tennessee, make more use of his delete button and to not send any text messages after 1230AM EST in 2009"

Kim Bates (social): "To experience that single moment of understanding which floods my whole life with meaning and to spend more quality time with the people I love the most."

Eric Spear (social): "My New Years resolution is to go back to show business with a vengeance..."

Jasmin Rosemberg (author): "To be more efficient with my time, more effusive with my thanks, and more prolific a novelist."

David Chines (social): "My New Year's resolution for 2009 is to bring more happiness and laughter to those around me. To spend more time with the people I truly enjoy and to spend less time worrying about things I can't control. Also, I'd like to be the U.S. ambassador for Thom Browne this year.?

Tia Walker (blogger):: "My New Year's Resolution is to slow down and ENJOY the ride! 2009 is going to be a big year and I'd like to think that slow and steady wins the race. So I will be concentrating on ONLY things that matter. Accentuating the positive and eliminating the negative and of course "out" with the old "in" with the new or something like that...cheers!"

Gregory Littley (social): "My new years resolution is to see Live with Regis and Kelly as a part of superduo Greg and Kelly!"

Porter Hovey (photographer): "My New Year's Resolution is to start making more of effort to take to strangers at parties, loose 15 pounds, and generally be a better person."

Kyle Hotchkiss Carone (Princeton social): "My resolutions...To completely enjoy my last semester at Princeton, to not panic too much about entering the 'real world', and to make the most out of graduating into an economic crisis by renting my first apartment for a recession-special price."

Carol Han (StyleCaster): "To cook at home more, to finish my novel, and to cut down on my Billy’s banana cake binges!"

Adrien Field (social): "To become more financially responsible, finish my novel and start going to bed before the sun comes up."

Peter Smith (musician): "I resolve to not make any more resolutions."

Rachel Heller (actress): "I want to be able to help those that are less fortunate and spread peace and good thoughts to those that are suffering."

Kelly Will (Writer, Page Six): "My New Year's resolution is Live with Greg and Kelly as mentored by Regis and Kelly."

Martin Dawson (social): "Remember more of it."

Douglas Marshall (social): "For 2009 I'm taking the leash off and roaming free..."

Melissa Berkelhammer (social): "I don't believe in New Years resolutions. To begin with, most of us spend the first day of the year hungover, thereby off to a very imperfect start. But more importantly, we should use every day as an opportunity to improve on ourselves, and how we treat others. Particularly this year, what with the Obama victory, the Prop 8 protests, and this "yes we can" optimism, all of that is mere hollow rhetoric if we can't practice the tolerance it has become so au courant to espouse. Some people may really need to take a long hard look at themselves, not just the first day of the new year, but ALL year."