It’s been awhile since I last blogged. I guess I subscribe to the philosophy that it’s better to stay silent and let folks assume you’re a fool than to open your mouth and prove them right.
......
OK, not true. Just as nature abhors a vacuum, I abhor silence, and must fill it, so I’m pretty much constantly proving myself a fool. Today, I am sure, will be no exception.
After a long absence from writing of any kind (unless cell phone texting counts, which I’m pretty sure it does not), I figured, considering the time of year, that the most natural way to ease back into this would be start off with some New Year’s resolutions.
Of course, I resolved a few years ago not to make New Year’s resolutions anymore, as I can rarely get past mid-January without having shattered all resolve to stick to my ambitious resolutions. I started setting the bar lower and lower every year, in hopes of achieving some modicum of success. For example, I stopped resolving to exercise five days a week, and lowered it to merely resolving to walk five days a week. Then it was three days a week. Then I resolved I would walk at least three times a month. Finally, last year, I said I’d walk three times that year, which I did on January 2, 3, and 4 so as to get it out of the way and be able to say I was successful in fulfilling my resolution.
This year, I’ve decided to simply set some annual “goals.” Somehow, setting goals seems less intimidating, and a bit “friendlier,” quite frankly, than making “resolutions,” which has a bit of a militaristic feel to it, does it not?
So, on Monday, a week into the New Year, I spent the day charting my yearly goals, and breaking those down into smaller chunks, first monthly, then weekly.
At the end of the day, between goal-listing, chatting, emailing, errand-running, dinner-making, and more errand-running (for my high school daughter who came home with a list of supplies for this new semester that rivaled our back-to-school purchases), I decided I should have added “Make New Year’s Goal List” to my weekly goal to-do list so that I’d have something to cross off for the day.
*sigh*
It’s going to be a long year.
6 comments:
First, a silly question: is it really supposed to be "New Year's resolutions" - that is, resolutions of the New Year? Aren't they really your (or my or whomever's - or should that be "whoever's"?) resolutions, and should it be phrased "New Year resolutions"? (No offense intended, just trying to be a bit humorous.)
I really like the idea of making them goals instead of resolutions, and further the idea of then taking the overarching goals and breaking them down into sizable, attainable chunks. I should do something like that, but I'm not that, um, organized? Disciplined? Something.
Oh, and as far as exercise... when I was in the Navy I exercised on a consistent basis: twice a year (at the semi-annual Physical Readiness Test; and I was sore for a week or two afterwards, as the PRT included running for 1.5 miles). I did take up walking for about a month last year, but haven't done that in several months now (I need to take it up again, but there are the issues of time and schedule, my laziness, and lack of inspiration).
Well, in my case... clearly, in the past, they were never MY resolutions! (Since I never seemed to follow through with them!) So "New Year's Resolutions" was apropos.
But, grammarian that you are, I know what you're telling me. It should be New Year Resolutions. I stand corrected! :)
I'll post an update today with my 2008 goals. (Nail biting as I write that... do I really want a permanent record of those...?)
Um... I've resolved to smile more. That's it. Of course, that really entails quite a lot... when I say "smile" I mean a genuine smile, not a Barbie (or Ken, in my case) front that I put on to hide my true emotional state. To really, truly have that "Joy of the Lord" thing, and to have it more consistently. But I haven't broken it down into monthly or weekly goals.
Oh, and I like my new title: "grammarian"! Thanks! Maybe I should change my identity to "Tony the Grammarian"... or perhaps "Tony Kingdad the Grammarian" (I use "Kingdad" for my video game and other online exploit moniker - I'll share the story of its origin sometime or another, perhaps).
Christy Ellis said: I personally like the phrase I've learned from following a yoga cd - "Now take a few moments and form an intention for the day". INTENTION, not goal, not resolution, not even plan but INTENTION. So if I really mess up and don't do anything I can say it was my intention to do such and such. :) Do you like?
I do like the word "intentions" ... in fact, I would say that for the past 20 years I've had very good -- nay, GREAT -- intentions to improve myself and the world around me. Alas, you know the what the road to h-e-double-hockey-sticks is paved with!! :)
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