Christmas is less than a week away, and the New Year less than two. I find myself thinking ahead to 2009 resolutions, given that my 2008 ones are long forgotten.
I'm always looking for ways to be just a little bit better, whether it's the food I eat, the way I listen, or even the number of steps I take each day. I'm competitive, but mostly, I'm competitive with myself.
So it's time to make a serious yearlong commitment to a handful of goals, ones that I can work on regularly, but won't be discarded by (irony alert) Epiphany (or Jan. 6). Where do I want to be in 2010? Who do I want to be? The path I take in 2009 determines all of that.
[My colleague Amy Bickers Mercer will have a great cover story in January's Healthy Living about long-term self-improvement. Don't miss it.]
So, my five New Year's resolutions for 2009 are ...
1. Entertain at home. I'd like to have people over once I get the place tidied up. Having friends stop by forces me to cook and clean and tend to others, which I love.
I have been far too frequent a guest and not a host. Time to balance that out.
2. Go as far as possible on a single plane ticket. I tend to hoard frequent flyer miles. And then, I'll blow a few on a magazine subscription. But what I resolve to do is cash it in for as long a trip as possible.
I had a great vacation in Chicago in May. Seeing Lake Michigan and the cityscape along Michigan Avenue invigorated me.
But then, personal travel always fulfills me. Finding my way along unfamiliar terrain and forcing myself into the unknown seems scary at first, but then more than manageable in the moment. I might not take the flight in 2009, but the planning begins right away.
3. Walk inside and out. I have a treadmill. I haven't used it since who knows when.
I also have a park. It's five blocks away. I don't use it either.
I also have a pair of sneakers. Well, you get the idea.
4. Plant a very small vegetable garden. I have a backyard, but it serves merely as the place that collects many leaves. I told myself sometime this year that in order to move forward with eating better, I need local produce. Really, really local.
For now, I'll start the mulch pile with some of those accumulated leaves. And come spring, I'll venture into the wilds out my door to clear away a patch of land. There, modest tomatoes and squash will grow, ripe for the harvesting.
5. Write furiously. Most everyone has a relaxing habit that they love: knitting, reading, playing cards, drinking tea. Mine is writing. I have gotten away from it, and each day away made me a little smaller.
So, for you, whether it's writing, or cooking, or chatting on Facebook, find something that you love and hang onto it dearly.
What will you do in 2009?
---
Related posts:
