New Years Resolutions – notorious setups for failure. I am not a fan. But my issue is not the actual idea of resolutions – it is simply the manner that people choose to resolve. The all to common “lose weight” or “start a diet” are destined to fail.
Despite my preexisting opinion on the matter, I’ve decided to make some resolutions this year. But not these huge lifestyle changes that will be too difficult to hold up – I have a different approach. The main gist of it will be action. Its vague and means little, right? I’ll start small.. for instance – everytime I enter or leave a room – there’s something that could be cleaned up, organized, or thrown out. So I’ll do that. Not all at once, but when you consider how often you see such things – there are countless opportunities to take tiny actions.
Messes are inevitable – with a busy house, and just the way of things .. nothing can remain pristine for long. However, the longer you go without effort to keep it that way, the worse it gets, and the harder it is to maintain. Soon these little messes – old mail, those magazines you never read, the dust bunnies – pile up and climb into the back of your head. They chirp and squeak and gnaw on your brain, creating stress.
So this action – just taking an extra minute or two here and there to create a better environment – is my “resolution”. The end result is just “better”. Its not specific – and hard to say if it is even measurable. But it is improvement, so at some point I believe there must be a noticeable difference. Its not a nonstop cleaning spree – its just leaving a little less disaster everywhere I go. Better surroundings = better feelings = better everything.
I know I don’t have time to go to the gym, nor can I justify the expense. I can however, go for a quick run around the neighborhood, and have exercise off my list in 20-30 minutes. I don’t believe in diets – I just eat mindfully. Less bad stuff, more good stuff. No need to label it. Those aren’t resolutions to me.