Today I've been thinking...It's odd the way we treat the changing of the day from 12/31 to 1/1. Many people make New Year's Resolutions, many go out dressed in their finest, many stay in w/ a special someone or group of friends, many make statments like 'Next year I'm going to...' or 'Next year will be different because...'. I want to know why this particular day, on that particular hour make people so enamored of change and betterment of self. Why not today? Why do we have to wait to start? Why do we, as a culture, feel like change must be some big, glamorous event that necessitates a kick-off..."At the beginning of next month I'm going to start to diet" or some such. I understand waiting to start til after a big holiday if one is right in front of you. Why start by feeling crappy about what you did that day. I understand waiting to start exercising at a gym for the beginning of the month (or whenever that special sign up is). I even understand waiting to hold yourself accountable to something until you've begun to make it a habit. Still-Don't wait to start at some big, glamourous moment, or in some big, fantastic way. In that path lies failure. Look at your portions NOW, even if you are doing something like joining Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers one the first of the month. Go for a walk NOW, even if you can't join the gym just yet for monetary reasons or reasons of special pricing (I love the no joiners fee special days!). We are odd as a culture - and I fall into this trap again and again.
Still, I see the point of resolutions, even though I think when you decide to change, you should start then, while you have the ambition. For example - I made some last year in this blog; and some I kept, some I didn't. At the beginning of 2008, I made these resolutions:
- I resolve to keep my desk clean at work, and hide my spoon every night.
(this is to prevent it from being 'cleaned up' and thus causing me to purloin a new spoon from the cafeteria) I managed this one pretty well, but the desk got rather shabby some weeks. Spoon - success!! - I resolve to keep my bird feeders full and my feathered friends happy. Well, the furry friends purloined the feathered friends food, leaving me w/ empty feeders more than I'd like. Darned furred beasts!
- I resolve to make a budget for myself and the house, and stick to it (boring one this, but it has to be done). I didn't. Nope, not a stitch. Mentally, yes I started keeping track of things, but I'm still not saving the kind of money I'd like. Work on it - and start now!
- I resolve to get. rid. of. the. ugly. grey. landscaping. rock! It's not really ugly, I just don't want it. Lance says he does, YAY! Ugly. grey. landscaping. rock...still there. Luckily, I did find Freecycle for my area, and next year if friends don't want it, I'm posting it there. Once the snow melts (Yes, I see a point to put a start date on this one, Noone wants to dig through 2 feet of snow to find frozen rock in below freezing temps.
- I resolve to hang things on the walls of my house. COMPLETE! Well, I'll always find more to hang, but I like the way it's shaping up.
- I resolve to clean and organize the shed and the garage, and to get rid of the washer, dryer, and range that are taking up space. (Anyone need an appliance? They are cheap for the asking!) Mostly Complete. The shed and garage were organized and cleaned (the garage needs it again, never ending cycle. Murphy's law rules the garage. The washer/dryer are gone...and there is a bite on the stove.
- I resolve to spend many relaxing and enjoyable hours on my motorcycle in the nice, non- snowy/salty/sandy streeted months I did this one pretty well too, although there is always room for improvement :D
- I resolve to redo the landscaping and plant a veggie garden (this is a multi year resolution!) This is indeed a multi-year resolution, but the garden did, indeed get planted, the fruits (and veggies) of our labor were eaten and shared, and we took a landscaping class to learn what to do with the house. This year we'll start w/ the more ambitioius Moving-Of-The-Volkswagen Bus Sized-Hosta(s).
- I resolve to hit the softball to the green-grass! I did it! I did! Even in Trev's Men's leage (when I pretended to be male long enough to sub for them in a few games) I did!
- I resolve to improve my golfing handicap. I also did this! It only went down like 1, then went back up, but I got more consistant.
- I resolve to eat ice cream whenever possible (we all know that resolving to eat it less will NOT happen!) You know what...I think I failed at this one! I think I ended up with an opposite day theory working. I resolved to eat more, and I think I ended up under my average. Crazy. I'll repeat this one in 2009 and mean it!
- I resolve to renew old friendships, make new ones, and treasure special times. This one goes without saying, but I wrote it down. I did pretty good, but again, room for improvement.
- I'm going to reduce my mass.
- I'm going to increase my fitness.
- I'm going to do some race of some sort that I a) haven't done before or b) haven't done in a while...liek the Korte, the North Shore, or a triathalon.
- I'm going to make that budget - it will better me as a person, and I'll explain if you really want to know.
- I'm going to try to be less cynical, sarcastic, and mean spirited about some things. No, I'm not saying what - that is for me to know. (just in case you wondered, the rant above is not an example of what I'm going to reduce :P)
- I'm going to write my Thank You Notes, and RSVP for things. I have bad ettiquette at this. Most of my generation does. It's time I improved.
- And yes, I resolve to keep my desk clean at work, to the best of my ability, and to continue to hang on to my spoon.
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