In the midst of all-you-can-drink parties, family gatherings and sight-seeing adventures, I took a time out to ponder the notion of the resolution.
Unlike previous years, I’ve decided not to rush the creative process of resolution making and start 2013 out right.
Too often we are whisked into the resolution spirit (mildly connected to the holiday one) and promise ourselves unrealistic or lengthy to do lists.
Last year, overwhelmed and unsure what 2012 would bring, I went against the very grain of my overachieving being, put the notepads and pens away, and didn’t even bother to make any.
This year, finding the compromise between writing out 47 things I’d like to accomplish/do/change/improve/engineer/kick-start and making zero life improvements, I pulled out a new journal, found some pens and my 13-year-old self, and wrote some things down (in neat bubble letters).
I’ve decided to share some of these here.
Without further delay, I present a few key resolutions I’ve made for the year 2013.
1) Put myself first more often and take better care of myself. Over the years, I’ve learned that being the rock for others is great but taking care of oneself is super important. This year I’d like to take more timeouts, mental health days and to learn to say no.
2) Go to bed earlier. This might seem silly, but is something I really need to work on if I’m going to make it in the world of everyone else’s reality. My reality = lots of ideas and excitement between the hours of 9pm and 3am and sleeping in until noon. Unfortunately, corporate America is not on this schedule and I find myself exhausted by the time work is complete.
3) Achieve a fitness goal. As a competitive figure skater, I always found that the journey was more important than the ending. In the same way, I find that although crossing the finish line is great, working towards the goal ultimately brings everyday accomplishments, inspiration and results. In 2012, I ran my first half marathon. Although crossing that finish line after 13.1 miles was Awesome, it was the 6 weeks spent running with friends, discovering new parts of my city and running further than I had ever run before that allowed me to achieve all I had wanted.
I’m looking forward to seeing what 2013 will bring. I recommend pulling out some crayons, colored pencils or black ink pens (computers work too) and jotting some things down.
Feels good.
Happy New Year!
