1 post tagged “new year's resolutions”

This year, before I actually sat down to write my resolutions for 2008, I wanted to take a moment and look up the definition of the word. Here's what I found:

res·o·lu·tion

[rez-uh-loo-shuhn] –noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

I think my favorite of all these definitions is number 10: reduction to a simpler form. And, my primary resolution for 2008 is to do just that.

So, here's my list of resolutions. I really ought to check back in mid-year and report on how I'm doing with them, but I can't commit to that right now. Let's just see how things look at the Fourth of July.

1. Reduce, reduce, reduce. I have a lot of stuff. And when I say this, I really mean that I have a lot of stuff. I've got clothes in my closet that haven't seen the light of day since early 2006 or prior (though I did successfully wear some things this past week into which I never thought I could ever again fit). A good number of my clothes won't even fit into my drawers anymore. I've got scrapbooking supplies that I've long since stylistically outgrown and books that would be put to better use in a public library than on my bookshelves. I've got bags aplenty that never get used and cookbooks that still creak when you open them. In short, it's time to let some things go. My goal is to rid myself of a ton (yes, 2,000 pounds) of stuff before the end of 2008. And yes, I will keep track.

2. Be present. This is an ongoing resolution. I find that my mind isn't always where it ought to be. When I'm watching Baby C at play, for example, my thoughts inevitably shift to the heaping pile of laundry in the corner of my bedroom or the pile of stuff cluttering the kitchen counter, and I have to force them back to the moment at hand. After all, I won't get the chance to watch the baby like this for very much longer; he's changing so much every day that I know I'm already missing so much.  Sadly, the clutter will be there for a long while, and the laundry isn't going anywhere, either. But this is also what I'm supposed to do when he's sleeping, right?

3. Eliminate two credit cards.

I've got three. Eliminating two of them would be a nice step in the right direction. And, if I stick to my guns and cut them up as soon as I've paid them off, the temptation to reuse them won't reappear until 2010 (when they'll reappear). Of course, this will require me to pay heed to definition number 4 above: the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute.

4. Make time for a creative outlet. As I may have mentioned two or three (hundred) times in previous posts, I have a lot of scrapbooking supplies. I also have a lot of things to scrapbook, and a lot of cards that I can make and send to people I know and like. After all, if I'm not in the mood to complete a page, the least I can do is slap together a card, right? So, I really want to make time for doing something creative. It doesn't have to be a lot of time - just an hour a week would suffice - but I really ought to find the time for it.  And this leads us to our next resolution - again, one that is an ongoing one...

5. Be a better planner. I'm good at planning for the long haul. For example, I've got almost enough squirreled away (and an ongoing plan) so that my retirement will be comfortable. It won't be anything posh or extravagant, but I'll be able to eat and buy myself the occassional new trinket or pair of shoes. No, the planning on which I need to work is the day to day sort. The kind that involves making grocery lists and packing lunches and things like that. The kind of planning of which my own mother was a master.

6. Completely furnish and decorate the dining room. I've been asking for my dining room for more than two years, and now that I have the table and four of the chairs, it's only right that I take ownership of it and finish it off. This means breaking out the paintbrushes, finding the right window treatments, and, yes, splurging on some additional pieces from West Elm (alas, Santa did not bring me the chairs or buffet this year). But it is manageable and very doable. Especially if I give myself an entire year to do it.

7. Restore Baby C's closet to its original intended purpose. See, about a year before we knew Baby C was coming - really, about a year before we were even married - I converted the closet in the office-now-nursery into a crafting closet. Now, it's overflowing with stuff (see resolution #1), and I have nowhere to hang the poor baby's clothes. Mind you, most of his stuff gets folded and stored in his drawers, but he's got a few hoodies and some cute little shirts that should be put on hangers and properly hung. My goal for this resolution is the end of February. We'll have to see how that goes, too. (I'll be happy if I can get it done by mid-March!)

8. Find a way to give back to the community. In other words, I want to do more philanthropic things. This past year, I participated in the Orlando Heart Walk. Next year, I plan to do that again, but I want to find something else to do, too. I don't know what yet, though. It will come to me, I'm sure.

9. Let bygones be. This is not, of course, to say that I will become best friends with those whom I feel have wronged me. But one thing I would really like to do - if for no other reason than to set a good example for my son - is to let old acts remain in the past and try (yes, this is the operative word) to focus on present actions and (hopefully) present kindnesses. And if present actions happen to be unkind, well, that leads to the next one...

10. Be more active in speaking up for myself. I don't think I speak up for myself enough. I think I've been notoriously good at letting things slide in hopes that they will one day be, well, "fixed". If something is important enough for me to care about it, then I ought to speak up and let it be known. Now, this isn't to say that I need to be rude about it, but I think it's only fair that I let others know how I feel about certain things. After all, I heed others' wants and needs; it's only fair that I ask for the same courtesy.

So, there you have it: ten things that I want to accomplish in 2008. Some are admittedly easier than others, but that's what resolutions are like, after all.

How well will I do at keeping them? Well, that's ultimately up to me to decide.  I'm sure I'll fail more often than I would ever care to admit.

But as long as I keep trying to be better, I think that makes all the difference.