Some people think of the things they want to change in their life on January 1. And they think in big drastic terms. They make a pretty list. Some even go so far as to expend money on these “resolutions.” And then they promptly forget about the whole deal 2-3 weeks later, only to look back in regret on them in December… just about that same time when the whole vicious cycle starts all over again.
So as you might guess I am not a big New Year’s Resolution girl. At least not in the conventional manner… I sniff with an up turnt nose on January 1. Especially at the superficial lists. Cause come on, that is exactly what most of them are. Regardless of this position I take at the beginning of the year, every year around my birthday I make an X at X list. This is a list of points for my life, equal in amount to what my age is.
Creating the list is a bit on the hard side as I try to make my list actionable, measurable, accomplishable and concrete. No “I want to loose 10 lbs” vaguing up my list (even if I do want to loose 10lbs, desperately). Instead I look at it from a lifestyle perspective. Are there things in my lifestyle that I want to change, and if there are, how would I go about introducing that. Much in life is about asking the right questions and mining the data for the appropriate responses. Shit I just read that sentence and totally see how spending my days with economists is impacting me...
Anyways back to the topic at hand. Thus when I sat down to really think hard about this list, I realised some may sound silly or like I intentionally set the bar on the ground. But this list went through a few different variations and prioritisations, furthered by my previous incarnation as a lawyer brain thinking it's way through each item and every word being carefully chosen. As if I was going to be taken to the Non-Compliance Court for Resolutions.
Sure I play up the numbers thing on occasion for whimsy, but since much in my life is about setting patterns and habits- which is my eternal weakness, or about the handful of things that are important but somehow always fall to the ground in the mélé of life. I composed this list as a list to be compiled of subtle reminders about what I want to create in my daily life and dreams I want to make reality. It also reflects my start easy then work towards building things up philosophy. Some are check list items (things that are one offs and just need to be done) and others are items that will follow me through the year (these are more about the habits in my life). At the end of the day, I prefer this kind of approach.
Now in previous years I wouldn’t track the list through the year, and I am now realising how that sucks and they then evaporate because of that. Which kind of sets me on par with those January 1 people, but I don't want to think about that. Anyways I usually get through half of them but I loose interest after a while. So this year after much thought I would give it a go and track it here on my blog. Sound like a good idea??
Well it did to me cause unless I have something pressuring me or holding me accountable I don’t do it. Remember I am the Princess of Procrasstination, and oh yeah- I put the ASS in procrASStination. And as second grade as it sounds but when I have a check list (I am a queen list writer) and I can take that red pen and slash right through them, things get done a bit more.
Yup I am the kid who now runs around saying where is my gold star bitch??? And if you are my best friend Karen you go and buy some as an excuse to slap me silly. And each time I say that you smack me on the head and say GOLD STAR, GOLD STAR.
This year it is 28 at 28, not catchy but there it is. So here goes my list, I'll check back in with it on the 29th of each month. If I haven't, you all have free reign to smack me on the head and yell GOLD STAR, GOLD STAR even if I haven't asked where my star is bitch.
1. Read one classic per month, read one book in each language you read over the year, and 28 books for the year in total
2. Go to a new museum on each free first Sunday of the month
3. Drink a minimum of 1 litre of water per day
4. Spend one night a week with no TV and no DVDs and no Technology. Whole night!
5. Save money to recreate a “nest egg/safety parachute”
6. Cook a true dinner once a month
7. Try a new cuisine each month (something you normally scrunch your nose at!)
8. Take one activity class per week (pilates, ballet, dance, yoga, etc)
9. Do one physical activity (swimming, running, rock climbing, cardio at gym etc) once a week
10. Run a half Marathon
11. Eat vegetables (i.e. a vegetable for the month eaten once a week)
12. Make a monthly contribution to a charity
13. Start “learning” Spanish
14. Visit two regions in France and at least one vineyard, plus one new country
15. Get my grandfather’s birth certificate
16. Take a scuba diving course
17. Learn about and read the texts of one of the major world religions
18. Finish my knitting projects
19. Go to one Opera and one Ballet at Garnier
20. Take a photo daily
21. Floss weekly
22. DECLUTTER
23. STUDY my ass off and take the GREs (while you are at it, get a ROCKING score too)
24. Make your home more yours (decoration etc)
25. Cultivate a bit of garden on your window
26. Get a website up and going
27. Keep the dishes done nightly
28. Relax and fill this one in later when it comes to you :)
And we are off and running
Posted by Stinkerbell at July 29, 2005 01:53 PM | TrackBack