I try not to make New Year’s resolutions because I think if something is good for me to do, there’s seldom a reason to put it off until January 1 to start.

Many of us will resolve to begin 2023 working towards achieving at least one goal such as losing weight, exercising more, getting better organized, or getting a better job.

As a Colorado transplant, the resolution I’ve made every year is to head into the mountains to take in the state’s splendor. But somehow, I end up surrendering to zero desire to go camping, skiing or hiking.

My interest in experiencing the difference between the Front Range and the Western Slope is sincere. Yet when vacation time rolls around, I’m on a flight to New York or Philly instead of a train to Grand Junction or Durango.

It would appear that a New Year’s resolution is not the best impetus for my visiting western Colorado.

So, I’m a bit weary that this year’s new challenge could also be either an utter failure: I will endeavor to use my cell phone a whole lot less.

As a Baby Boomer, I thank the universe that I’m not as addicted to screens as some in the younger generations who sleep with their phones and check social media the second they wake up.

Sometimes, I pass judgment on diners who are constantly on their phones and acting as though they have no idea who the person across the table is.

But I shouldn’t throw stones because let the truth be known, I am one of those RTD riders who stares at her phone from the time I board until I reach my destination.

Another undesirable fact is, if I reach for my phone on my person and it’s not where it’s supposed to be, I have a momentary panic attack. Or if I’m home and can’t find it quickly, anxiety fuels my frantic search.

However, the moment I decided to change my cell phone habit came in the back seat of a ride share recently when my driver pointed out an exceptional display of holiday lights. I love colorful yards and houses at this time of the year.

So it saddened me greatly to realize that I had been missing out for weeks on some of the imaginative decorations found in Denver neighborhoods because I was captivated by a 6 X 3 inch rectangle of electronica.

Such unawareness must be arrested before I slip into becoming the worst of the worst; the obnoxious screen watcher who barrels into pedestrians because they refuse to look up.

I admit to not wanting to become a Luddite as I age. However, that fear is assuaged by the fact that certain services I need, like ride shares, require a cell phone.

Still, I will strive mightily towards only needing my cell for calling, texting, answering important emails, and dealing with emergencies.

It’s a tall order, I know.

But do I always need Google to answer simple questions? No. Look it up.

Is there a way to get around without a maps app? Yes. Plan ahead.

Must I scan the QR code to use my building’s laundry machines? No. Quarters work.

Can I live without the voice recorder app for taking notes? Yes. Pen and paper have sufficed before.

Must I listen to podcasts on the go? No. Listen at home.

Do email and other alerts require a Pavlovian response? No. Most can wait.

Is it okay not to capture every Kodak moment? Yes. Too many stored photos already.

Doing everything on our phones for instant gratification is a big part of why the world is speeding up. At this point in my life, I’d prefer it to slow down.

Therefore, be it resolved that in the year 2023, my phone is no longer required for quick visits to a neighbor’s apartment or when checking my mailbox downstairs or going outside to the recycling bin or walking to a nearby store, or other simple activities.

Baby steps.

Jo Ann Allen is the creator and host of the podcast Been There Done That. She started her journalism career in 1975 at The Capital Times newspaper in Madison, WI. She spent 18 years as a news anchor at WNYC/New York Public Radio, and also worked as an anchor at KPBS Radio in San Diego, WHYY Radio in Philadelphia and Colorado Public Radio in Denver.