Top Ten 2009 New Year's Resolutions for Southern Women

Southern women are known for their down-home cooking, their genteel spirit and their charm. According to, What Southern Women Know (That Every Woman Should), they are also dedicated to self improvement [1]. I can say this with certainty, because I am a Southern woman and I come from a long line of Southern-born women.

Because of our dedication to self improvement, many Southern women religiously make (and break, and remake) New Year's Resolutions. There's something healing and reviving about resolving to make changes and be better next year. After all, as Southern women, "we want to be our best and look our best." [2]

So as the holidays pass and the New Year rolls around, we take out our pens and once again commit to new and renewed resolutions. There are common resolutions among Southern women, such as losing weight and exercising more, and there are more unique resolutions such as wearing heels more often. Yet whether common or unique, Southern women have meaningful reasons for the resolutions they choose. Let's look at the suggested Top 10 2009 New Year's Resolutions for Southern Women and the reasons they may choose them.

1. Lose 20 pounds. Always a favorite of the Southern women. Could be because of the extra pounds that deep-fried Southern cooking usually adds.

2. Use more vegetable oil for frying foods. I know you're thinking, who uses lard anymore? Well, I visited a down-home Southern restaurant in Tennessee, and they still fried their chicken in lard. So to lose those 20 pounds...

3. Exercise more. Okay, it's hard to give up the fried foods. Maybe if I just exercised more...

4. Reduce amount of shopping. Besides eating, shopping is the thrill of the Southern woman. But now with the turn in the economy, it may be best to reduce it a little and put the money to better use.

5. Reduce debt. For those who can't stop the shopping, just work on reducing the debt. This will provide a little more room for shopping.

6. Wear flats a little more often. A part of the Southern woman's charm is her ability to look perfectly poised in heels. I've even seen some walking laps in them. Trying flats, at least for working out, may provide long-term benefits.

7. Spend more time with family. Most Southern women are really very family-oriented. But many feel that they never spend enough time with the kids or their husband. Making this resolution will help squash some guilty feelings.

8. Get back to regular manicures, pedicures and facials. What did you expect? It's a job to look charming and poised all the time.

9. Get more sleep. Many Southern women work overtime in whatever they do. Whether it's a working woman or a stay-at-home mom, we give over 100%. This often means early mornings and late nights.

10. Go to church more regularly. Although listed last, it's not the least on the minds of many Southern women. Church was a big part of many Southern women's upbringing, and is something that sustains many of them now.

So as 2009 rolls around, many Southern Women will be making their resolutions. Some resolutions may even resemble the list above. Whether it does or doesn't, you can bet that it will be something that helps them be and look their best.

[1] Ronda Rich, What Southern Women Know (That Every Woman Should), Perigee Trade (September 12, 2000) p6

[2] ibid, p6