Happy New Yoga Pants! I love this resolution filled time. Making resolutions is a hopeful, optimistic way to spend your time and energy. You're saying "What would I like to change about my life?" The no-man's land of days between Christmas and New Year gives you enough of a break from your routine to breathe, stop and think. (Unless you work in retail in which case you're a shattered, exhausted shell of a person who can hardly remember how to spell their last name. Don't worry your quiet time is coming).
Just imagine being that person who doesn't need to make any resolutions. No need for a new diet, or worse detox, because they already eat in a healthy and nutritious way. No new gym membership because they already exercise 4 times a week. They already live a mindful life and meditate daily. Their career is exactly where they thought it'd be, and yes there's a few plans made for early 2017 but they've been in place since July last year. They're happy with their relationship status regardless of whether that's single or being with someone, so no plans to change that. They see their family and friends regularly so again they'll carry on as before. Imagine being that person.
For the avoidance of doubt that person isn't me or even anywhere close to being me. I'm very much still a work in progress. This year my plans for personal change are pretty simple. I'm undertaking Adriene's 31 days of yoga, mainly because I don't have to leave the house to do that. I've also made a commitment to write every day. I don't want to sound smug but it's Day 4 and I'm winning. I'm keeping the personal goals on the manageable and achievable side, because my career plans are out of control crazy big and scary. In quiet moments I swear that I can hear David Hyner yelling 'GO RHINOOOOOOOO!' in my ear which is frankly unsettling. But motivating.https://www.davidhyner.com/
On Friday night I'm catching up with an old friend for coffee. The last time that we did this was never. We don't live in cities where it's easy to pop in somewhere mutually convenient on your way home for a quick drink or bite to eat. For us to be able to meet we both have to finish work, pick up our kids from school, drive 45 minutes to get home, drop off and feed the offspring and drive 15 minutes to get to the coffee house. When we lived in London it was so easy. Meet at Angel walk for 5 minutes, enter bar, drink/eat/gossip, leave bar then bus or taxi home. I'm proud to say that I'm one of my friend's New Year's Resolutions.
It doesn't end there. I thought if my old chum can make me one of her Resolutions (when she messaged me, somewhat out of the blue on New Year's Day, I did ask if this was the case and she confirmed it), then I can make other old friends part of my plans for the future too. So I reconnected with one of my SITC mates to arrange a meet up for the four of us. To be honest the only real SITC comparison is that there were four of us, we used to drink a lot in a city and we were all in that lovely single/relationship/pre-marriage zone. Only one of us had really good shoes (Yes, Sara that would be you). Now we all have kids and we live in different parts of the country with commitments coming out of our ears. We're shooting for some time in February.
I'm happy with the plans that I have in place for 2017. I know that it's going to be bumpy and immensely hard work, but no change there. I'm aspiring to be that boring person who in 2018 will have no need for any resolutions.