For the last several years I have been pretty good about thinking about, selecting, and writing down resolutions at the beginning of the year complete with action plan. I have been less successful with actually keeping those resolutions, but overall I think I do okay at it.
Last year I had a single resolution: live deliberately, with passion and grace. I was not graceful for 365 days of the year, but I did much better than previous years; I felt I was more deliberate, more passionate, and moderately more graceful dealing with the hurdles and joys that were thrown my way. I am going to mark my 2015 resolution with a big, fat COMPLETE!
This year seems like a much bigger Fresh Start. Blue Eyes and I are finally living together, I’m in a new state, new (to us) home, new work environment, new schedules and commitments and priorities. I have been working on a list of resolutions that will both stretch my physically and emotionally, but will also help solidify some positive patterns and habits.
2016 Resolutions
- Sweat four times per week: running, yoga, exercise class, whatever
- For the first time in a decade I think I may join a gym, I think the interaction with other humans will be good for me after hours and hours of working at home by myself every day.
- Consistent meal planning and healthy eating
- Mr. Blue Eyes and I are in this one together, we both have some nasty sugary/chips-and-salsa/mac-and-cheesy based habits we’d like to break.
- Consistent writing: blog, notebook, and/or personal journal (minimum 5 times per week)
- I received a few empty notebooks as an early Christmas present and have been doing this for a few weeks already. I forgot how much I like writing down my thoughts and frustrations and dreams. And I mean writing, with an actual pen, in a leather-bound notebook
- Set and stick to household budget, bulk up savings and retirement plan
- Living under one roof will drastically change our finances, we have a Budget Meeting already planned to figure this out. Sexy, no?
- Family camping trip with the kiddos
- Bonus for a backpacking trip with gorgeous scenery involved
- Visit two new National Parks
- Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
- Saguaro National Park, Arizona
- Learn Spanish
- Ok, I know I can’t become fluent in one year, but I want to work on improving my skills regularly, and hopefully by this time next year I will be more conversant. (Blue Eyes gave me the Rosetta Stone-Spanish box-set for Christmas and a coworker has promised to practice with me, this is a calculated move!)
Looking over this list, it seems like most of my resolutions fall under the key word consistency. Consistent exercising, consistent healthy eating, consistent writing, consistent budgeting, and consistent practicing Spanish. It’s just as well, I suppose, the last few years have been so full of ups and downs and loop-de-loops and reverses and roller coaster explosions, a little structure and consistency* will probably do be good right now. With some adventures thrown in for good measure, of course.
*Dear Universe: Please don’t throw me a massive curve ball in February, just because you can, mmmkay?
Do you write resolutions? Do you keep resolutions? Are you a one-resolution-per-year kind of person? Or do you make a list of 19 things?
I love your resolutions. I feel like I really should write something down just to get it out of my head and into the concrete. I’m usually not really a resolution maker per say, but more of a broad focus for the year. I think this year I’ll be a bit more deliberate. My overarching focus though is to be kind to myself. I think this year is going to be an emotional roller coaster! Happy new year, lovely! (loved your christmas card!)
I think this is a huge one, self-kindness and self-patience is something I am, uh, not very good at. Self-criticizing? Oh, I’m an expert at that. Sigh.
xox
I’ve exercised consistently over the past two months (6 times a week) and although it’s on my to-do list every day, it costs me no mental energy at all. It makes me feel better and it also makes me want to eat more healthily, since I don’t want to undo all my hard work.
My resolutions are to put down roots over here, write more (now that I don’t have a diss to write, I want to write all the other things, but especially fiction and personal essays. I’ve been a regular journaler since October/November and it’s still early days, but it is a good habit and one I hope to sustain), and make time to ride my road bike (hopefully culminating in a century ride).
I really am hoping to get to a place where regular workouts are easy for me. They aren’t and never have been. Hoping this year to make that jump from “gaaaah, WHY do I have to do this!” to “Oh, just ran 5 miles, nbd!”
xox
“Sweat four times per week: running, yoga, exercise class, whatever”
You live in Arizona. Sitting perfectly still will cause ample sweating, believe me. Walking to the car from the house in the summer sun will be sweat-tacular.
Hey I’m resolving to better my Spanish too! I understand it OKish, as long as whoever is speaking does so slowly, but I have a limited vocabulary and can’t ever come up with the proper words to converse. I aim to remedy that once and for all, because being monolingual is embarrassing.
Oh, I’m aware. I’ve turned on my AC three times in the last week!
Yay for Spanish!
xox
These are great resolutions. We went on a road trip through NM, AZ, and UT a few years back, and the Petrified Forest National Park was one of my favorite stops–specifically the Painted Desert. So gorgeous. Have fun!
That shall certainly be on the list! Yay!
xox
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