New Year’s resolutions from Rep. Adam Kinzinger, Brad Garrett and others

What a year. Thankfully one of the weirdest and wildest in modern history is drawing to a close, bringing a new sense of optimism about the coming year. Or so I thought.

Every year, I solicit New Year’s resolutions from friends, colleagues and newsmakers. This year, I expected big things: trips around the world after a year of travel-less captivity, crossing off bucket list items like skydiving and beekeeping school, and plans to reunite with long-lost loves.

Instead, it seems most people have small plans for 2021 — microscopic, in fact. Maybe that’s a result of expectation-setting or downright pessimism for the coming year, but either way... revel in their simplicity.

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-California: “Potty train both kids. Potty mouth-train both parents.”

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Illinois: “Read less news. I still know what is happening but my blood pressure stays low. And more speaking out on the fear politicians use to raise money.”

Josh Gad, actor: “To grow fewer gray hairs from tuning in to the news.”

Ken Jeong, actor: “Travel less and spend more time with family.”

Elizabeth Vargas, journalist: “I am going to try really hard to take good care of myself and, to paraphrase ‘Hamilton,’ worry less and smile more. Oh, and I pledge to return all emails the same day I get them.”

Andrew Yang, presidential candidate: “My resolution is to help New York City get back on its feet. And to cut down on late-night snacks.”

Brad Garrett, actor: “To develop a COVID ointment for those afraid of needles. And have [Anthony] Fauci apply it to me the way my bubbie used to dish out the Ben-Gay. And to stop trying to figure out how Mario Lopez was cast to portray Colonel Sanders, and why I was never asked. And to come up with another excuse for not having dinner with people once I’m vaccinated.”

Brad Thor, author: “Take more vacation time. Take more friends to dinner. Take less for granted.”

Kevin Baron, executive editor of Defense One: “To go sit on the other couch. Kidding ... I resolve to make more IRL (in real life) family time, less screen time, work on my dad bod, and get vaccinated as soon as it’s my turn.”

Ashleigh Banfield, journalist: “Definitely vowing to drop the COVID 20.”

Erin Gloria Ryan, host of Hysteria podcast: “I’ve been deathly afraid of getting my blood drawn since I was 12. In 2021, I’m going to try to make that fear more manageable, and I don’t care what it takes — hypnosis? Therapy? Acupuncture? Holding onto a magic rock? Prayer? Whatever it takes. I’m getting over it this year.”

Henry Winkler, actor: “Uniting my family, community and our country.”

Richard Marx: “My number one resolution is to become an expert at being authentically present in whatever moment I’m in. Not easy but worth practicing.”

Paul Stanley, rock star: “I want to make sure I let all those close to me know they are blessings and so important, and also make sure I tell all those I love that I do.”

Noah Shachtman, editor of The Daily Beast: “Once this freaking coronavirus is over? Go to 50 shows. Hug 100 strangers. And cut this one, nasty pandemic beard.”

Ross Mathews, TV personality: “My resolution for 2021 is to go through every stupid email I get from every dumb store I order from online and ‘unsubscribe’ so I no longer wake up every day to 4,000 emails telling me that sweaters are 25% off and Tupperware ships free if I order by Friday. I’m all stocked up, thank you very much.”

Chris Mattmann, data scientist: “Spend more time appreciating and enjoying life with my friends — and, when we do start to return to ‘normal’ and I get to spend in-person time with people, really take the time to enjoy it.”

Tom Nichols, author of the book “Our Own Worst Enemy”: “Try very hard to recover the empathy I lost over the past four years. Watching people vote against their own interests, hurt themselves to make a political statement during a pandemic and risk my life just to make a point totally drained me of empathy for millions of my fellow citizens.”

Enes Kanter, Portland Trail Blazers: “Hope that God gives me and us more strength to be the voice for the voiceless, and a bigger platform to be the hope for innocence, and educate myself about the challenges women are facing, and fight against hate and racism. Let’s make this world better together.”

Kyung Lah, journalist, CNN: “In 2021 I want to do a free handstand. Super simple but incredibly hard and scary. My yoga teacher is who I’m emulating — this kick-ass woman who has lost so much in 2020 but tries to find balance in chaos.”

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