I’ve read a lot of blogs and articles in the past couple of weeks where the author denounces the whole idea of New Year’s resolutions, but…if you twisted such author’s arm, the following list is what would follow.
You will find none of that pooh-poohing here. I start compiling my New Year’s resolution list before we put the Christmas tree up. It’s been that way since junior high when my best friend Abby and I huddled together in my bedroom, sitting cross-legged on my blue and pink zig-zag quilt. We bent our heads over the smooth lined paper, writing down all notable events from the previous year, and then setting our sights for the up-coming year. I wish I could find one of those sheets of paper today. At one point in time, Abby and I agreed to document our years in this manner each and every year and keep them to reference at a later date. I am sure at least one year is tucked away neatly into one of the shoes boxes in the attic, snuggled in between years of saved notes from junior high and high school.
I understand that to many people New Year resolutions stand before them as an overly obvious attempt at self-improvement. The lofty goals and hopes for the future can take on a sort of desperate geeky hue. “Why make a resolution when you know you’ll just break it by the first week of February? “ people moan when the topic comes up.
I am all about setting reasonable goals. Some may say, "Have low expectations," I say, "Be reasonable, then reckless." You are dealing with a girl whose biggest track race in high school was the final 100 yard sprint of the 800 race. For my track career I laid down the following rules with my parents and boyfriend, don’t come to watch me. I wasn’t good and I knew it. But I liked the challenge, wanted to move my body and just “do” something after school. That didn’t need to include reassuring anyone else that, I really, really didn’t mind being at the back of the pack during my event.
On this particular day, my lungs burned as I battled out the last 100 yards of the race with the last girl left on the black track. Our equal determination pushed up the air between us, thickened it with competition, as neither one of us wanted to give up the title of “second to last”.
I pumped my arms, channeling all concentration into my form. Willing my legs to turn over as quickly as possible and biting down on lower lip for one last burst, I stomped across the chalky white line two seconds before my hearty competitor did.
Thoughts of that race still brings forth a sense of pride and a rush of adrenaline all these years later. I kicked ass that day, it may have only been my own ass, but it didn’t matter to me. It was a great race. I need not apologize to anyone for my standing.
So, with the my personal perspective regarding the setting of goals adequately set, my resolutions are as follows:
1. I will not be offended. It wastes energy and I am ready to just let it go. I plan to use all of that banked energy from not being offended to help me take on resolutions 2-10. (Are you starting to see how I put together my master plan?)
2. Compile at least 5 rejection letters from various editors. I cannot control if an editor will accept an article or book idea, but I can surely secure a pile of rejection letters. And what do I have to do to get a rejection letter? Submit some work.
3. Collect and document at least 5 family stories through interviews using my voice recorder. I have this dream of compiling a book filled with family stories from as many members as possible. In addition to that, I’d love to save the voices of those family members telling those stories, which is one of the reasons I purchased a voice recorder when we began the adoption process for Kai. My grandma passed away a few years ago. I miss her voice. I so regret not recording her stories. I want Elizabeth and Kai to hear the stories of our parents and family in their voices, to be able to listen to those stories when they are adults.
4. Complete an Olympic Triathlon-Because I feel like if I can do that length of an open water swim, then I can officially pack up that whole fear of swimming deal and call it a day.
5. Take a bicycle mechanic’s class at our local shop, and then approach them about an apprenticeship so I can learn as much as possible about bike mechanics. I seriously love bikes. When I walk through our local bike shop, my heart rate increases just scanning all the bikes lined up on the racks. At the Danskin Triathlon, the woman working at the Trek booth asked me if I could change a flat tire. I proudly said I could. She laughed and said, “I can too. I ask a guy to do it for me.” What?!! I wanted to report her to her boss and then ask for her job. I hope to learn a ton about bikes this year. Then I could also teach my friends and other women how to do it all too. I might even help a poor chap who is broken down on the side of the road. “Don’t worry, “ I’ll say, crouching down to assess his bike, “I can get this taken care of in just a few minutes.” And I’ll pretend to not notice his surprise as I take my tools out of my bag and get work, humbly displaying my extensive bicycle repair and maintenance skills as he looks on with admiration.
6. Learn more about the elements of photography-because I just love photography and it connects me back to the days when I first started experimenting with photographs in high school.
7. Write Kai’s adoption story in a Snapfish book with pictures from the trip. Because I think the time is coming that he’ll want to see and know more.
8. Get back to church. We stopped going regularly because of Kai’s nap and my work schedule, but it’s time to get back. I miss it.
9. Try to be a little neater. Other women talk about letting go of the house and the need for it to be perfect. I probably need to care a little more. I tend to have my own belongs strewn about the house as I start one project and then jump to another, and another throughout the day. A little more picking up wouldn’t kill me.
10. Put more effort into my wardrobe. As I have mentioned before, I seriously hate to shop. But I do want to look half-way decent. I cannot spend a ton of money on clothes. So, I am coming to terms that I will need to spend some of my time in clothing stores , to at least secure a set of basics for my wardrobe. I just read, “How to Not Look Old.” It was an interesting book. It seems I am doing quite a bit “wrong” in the style and fashion department. What I need now is to read a book entitled, “How to not feel like crap after reading a fashion book that essentially makes you feel outdated at 33.” There… maybe I can work on writing that book if I get #1-10 completed before the 4th of July.
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