Happy New Year! Yes, I realize I’m a few days late, but I’m here now, ok?
First, can I just say, this holiday season was exhausting! The past two or three weeks have felt so hectic and chaotic and just generally busy. And honestly, we didn’t even do that much. It’s so cliche, but I really felt like I couldn’t get anything else done during the holidays. I’m excited to just be back to normal. I’m looking forward to a few boring days. Just a few, though.
But anyways… In the spirit of the holiday, I’ve been contemplating some resolutions. I know there’s a whole “anti-resolution” thing going on, and I kind of see the point… So I’m thinking of these more as life goals. And I’m trying to think of small, doable actions that I can actually accomplish on a day-to-day basis.
1. I will live mindfully, enjoying the present moment while I have it, because it’s the only time I have. I’ll do my best to stop dwelling in the past and worrying about the future. I’ll keep going with my weekly mindfulness exercises, which are a great way to actually incorporate mindfulness into my life.
2. I will spend more time just being with Adeline. I’ll leave the dishes for later and let unfolded laundry sit in the basket. I’ll put the iPhone down. Seriously, putting the iPhone down should help a lot.
3. I will simplify my life. I’ll continue my efforts to get rid of all the excess stuff that we have sitting around the house. I feel so weighed down by too many possessions. And we have so many things that when I actually need something I can’t even find it. I need to clear things out and make space.
4. I will rein in my over-consumption. I’m your typical American over-consumer. By which I mean, I have a shopping habit. Not luxury goods or anything overly expensive, but just random stuff. (See above.) I can’t manage to walk out of Target without having purchased bags full of stuff that I didn’t plan to get. I’ll try to keep my shopping to a minimum. I’ll try to stick to my list.
5. I will keep writing. I’ll stare down the demons that tell me I’m no good, that I’ll never do anything with my writing, that I should just grow up and move on. Sometimes those demons will get the upper hand, but I vow to keep fighting. I resolve to keep writing.
And that’s probably enough to be getting on with. The thing is, I’m sure I’ll fail more often than I’ll succeed. But all you can do is keep trying, right? So what are your resolutions? And what small steps will you take to actually achieve them?
