This year, I resolved to make only manageable resolutions. That's a new thing for me. Usually, my January list reads like an itinerary for invading a foreign country and is totally undoable, i.e. "Grow out hair for Valentine's Day" or "Lose weight" or "Learn HTML". (What are some of your crazy resolutions from years past?)I did chuckle with my sisters, wondering if there will ever be a year when I don't resolve to lose weight. What would such a year feel like? (Valerie Frankel's memoir Thin Is the New Happy has some ideas, and does provide a road map of sorts: don't worry about food and exercise at least four times a week, she concludes.)
But I don't want my resolutions to become another burden, another source of nagging failure. So making them realistic is the way to go in 2009.
I took a bag of rocks that I purchased years ago and wrote in Sharpie on each rock one verb phrase, i.e. Enjoy children. Laugh with them every day. Continue to hold meaningful family home evenings. Faciliate Graham's Cub Scouts. Follow the Spirit in church stewardships. Lose weight. Whiten teeth. Work on novel (the big unstarted albatross that makes me dread each passing year) each week. Improve grading comments to better help students improve writing. Back up iphoto files.
And so on.
Although I have about 20 rocks, most of the tasks are things that I'm trying to do already. The enjoying children is probably the most important resolution. I want to have fun with them more often and with fewer backwards glances to unswept floors.
However, I'm not one of those people who says, Don't worry about the floor. It doesn't matter. Because it does matter to me. Dirty floors make me antsy and unproductive, so I need my house to maintain a certain level of tidiness, otherwise we spiral into disarray. Hence the rock that says, Maintain adequate cleaniness for productivity. No more, no less.
I'm going to put the rocks in a jar with sand, of course. Which LDS woman among us doesn't live and die by the rock/sand metaphor? Or is it just me? I love the image!
If, at the end of the year, Graham has successfully completed his Wolf and is working on his Bear, if his A1C is below 7, if Annie has solidified her reading and is working on the piano, if my teeth are bright white and my jeans less snug, if I've held strong in making the kids take their Omega-3 supplements, if I've finished the Book of Mormon with the Young Women in our ward, if I've strengthened my friendships and family relationships, if I've moved even further away from emotional reactivity in my parenting (see upcoming post on the a-maz-ing book ScreamFree Parenting!) and if I have some chapters completed, well, I'll feel like it was a good year.
p.s. I've already started working on my smile with an Oral B Super Turbo Brush Hog. It blasts plaque right off. Yes, I was a little alarmed at the fine print: Seek the advice of your dentist if gum bleeding persists for more than two weeks. But beauty comes at a price. $19.99, to be exact. :)
14 comments:
Ah, but I've always loved your teeth as your best feature. I guess even perfection can be improved? Perfect resolutions ...
I love the idea of the rocks with Sharpies on them. Who cares a snit about your teeth when you have the perfect nose -- oh, I used to have that nose until 1995 messed up sinus surgery.
But I'm not bitter (note to self - do resolution - stop comparing Erin's perfect nose to self!) Hahaha!
When is this picture from at the bottom - 'cause even though I saw you a few days ago with short locks it would appear that you are on the road to growing out your hair by Valentine's Day :)
Oh, and you forgot one VERY important RESOLUTION - Watch Psych! (Hey, I watched 2 1/2 episodes of your beloved 30 Rock.) And I can't wait to take you on in CELEBRITY TABOO - oh yeah!
That picture is from 2007. Ha ha! I can't grow it out that fast. I just don't have a lot of pictures of me that I am willing to post. (See resolution to lose weight/only take pictures from the ankles down!)
Oops - I forgot I was logged in as Mom (trying to fix the comments setting on HFS).
But thanks for the nice words about my nose, Courtney. You have a nice nose too! Write that on your rock.
My resolutions are to keep up with my work in box (dealing with email instead of leaving it til IT tells me I have 18,000 emails and must delete!), try one new recipe each week, and not gain weight over the winter. I feel like that's more manageable than "lose weight!"
I love your idea of the writing on the rocks and making more realistic resolutions. I might steal that idea from you if you don't mind and honestly, what a great gift for someone next Christmas too-a "resolution making kit". :) I'd like it.
Ooh--you always find good graphics for the beginning of your posts.
I love the rock idea! I may have to copy (but of course give in to my literay training and cite my source when people gush over how creative I am).
Playing with kids more: amen.
Maintain adequate cleanliness for productivity: I'll pray for us both.
Cub Scouts: dreading it with all my might.
PS- I laughed at "grow our hair for V-Day." Ha!
I love your new year's ruminations, Erin. I think you've just put words to my life motto to "maintain adequate cleanliness for productivity". I always suspected that there was some code I've been living by all these years, so thanks for putting the words to that! Mind you, closing the gap between my and Jason's idea of adequate cleanliness - ay there's the rub...
It doesn't seem like I ever make New Year's Resolution because I know I never follow through with them except the loosing weight, however, having another baby brought that weight back up and now once again that in my New Year's Resolution because I don't have any clothes that fit and I am not going to go buy new ones just to fit in them. Now I just have to get more dedicated. However, I did make New Year's Resolutions for Matthew and Allison. Matthew - stop using binki at naps and nighttime, and potty training. So far...binki gone, potty training in progress. Allison - sleep in crib in Matthew's room...that is more on my shoulders.
Good luck to all your resolutions!!
Stephanie - I like the idea of setting goals for your kids ... especially since you will have to make those happen. Good luck! :)
Best wishes. They all sound reasonable. (I hear you on the kitchen floor thing. I wish I did not care, but then when someone pulls up a macaroni from two nights ago and then eats it, I have to haul out the pine-sol.)
2009 will be a great year for you with things you didn't even know you wanted.
The craziest resolution I ever made was to "read all unread books I own, and re-read all favorite books I own". I was in college at the time carrying more than a full load of credits...what was I thinking?! I don't really make resolutions any more! :)
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