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Resolutions, Anyone?
Congratulations on making it through another holiday season. We did it!! Now that it’s 2016, there’s a proliferation of ads for diet aids and exercise equipment, and the media is filled with stories about New Year’s resolutions, whether they work and why. Through the years, I’ve made assorted pledges about online dating, drinking more water and worrying less. But this time, the thought of conjuring up a new commitment to something I wasn’t already doing didn’t even cross my mind. How about you?
The New Yorker cartoon by Kim Warp
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Nope, didn’t even cross my mind either. I do want to learn to love and forgive myself more, but that’s something I think of everyday, it’s not a New Years resolution.
Forgive yourself more – thanks for the reminder
We made it! No resolutions this year, just easing into the new year showing kindness to myself. The picture today really made me smile 😉
I do resolutions (well, I do themes, as opposed to the usual numbered resolutions). In fact, I’ll be having lunch with a friend later this week to discuss this very thing. So, I’ve got a holdover from 2015 (Speak Up, Speak Out, Be Bold), which I continue to work on. The new theme will either be Let Things Come to You (Me) and/or Embrace Uncertainty. I drink a lot of the Yogi Teas and the tea bags always have a saying on them (some of which I find frankly silly) but I seem to have gotten Let Things Come to You quite a few times and each time I’ve held on to the piece of paper with the saying on it. To me it means two things: a) to accept what is (which really is a way of embracing uncertainty), rather than trying (usually unsuccessfully) to force or hope for a given outcome. Life, then, becomes more about the process rather than the outcome.
But I also see this theme as b) being open to all of life’s opportunities and partaking of them. Which means taking risks. The opportunities come to me. Now it is my choice whether or not to receive them.
I will be reflecting on my choice of theme (with the understanding that the second “New Year” is the March equinox, so I can revisit the choice of theme then if I wish). In a way, the theme is my mantra for the year. It must be meaningful to me.
So, no “Lose weight”, “Read XX books”, “Go to the gym 5X/week”. Sure, I have a goal to beat last year’s half-marathon time (a slow 2:50 or so), but if I don’t, so what? No matter my finishing time, I am ALWAYS exhilarated at the finish line.
Bottom line: resolutions, no and theme yes.
Happy New Year to you and the entire FPS community!
Petra – I love this idea!! Love love love! Now that you mention it, one thing I am working on is living life on life’s term. Exactly what you said – not trying to force or hope for a given outcome. Let life come to you and do with it what you can. I also love your idea that the “second New Year” is March Equinox. I will keep that in mind and revist at that time. Thanks so much for being part of this community!
Lola, you have stated this so beautifully. “Live life on life’s terms”. So succinct and with the concept perfectly encapsulated.
I like having another marker in mind (March equinox) to revisit and reflect on how thing’s are going.
I appreciate how much thought you’ve given to your aspirations for 2016. And I’m sure they resonate with a lot of us at FPS.
My new year’s resolution is to stop checking Facebook. Seeing pictures of people I barely know having amazing weddings and babies makes reinforces my anxiety about having those things. Much better to check this site regularly instead!
That and also eating less sugar.
Excellent resolutions, Olivia. Here in L.A., I have friends in show biz, so they post photos on Facebook wearing glamorous clothes and attending awards shows (e.g. Golden Globes.) Makes me crazy.
I totally support the facebook avoidance thing. I often wonder if it would help me as well. I usually just waste time when I could be doing something else.
I can’t quit it.