Wednesday, February 5, 2014

february things.

I was struck by the infectiousness of the new year, this time around.

When we returned to Wilmington from Shreveport, I couldn't believe all the potential that seemed to lie before me in 2014 - this brand new year. I had already tapped out my resolutions, & I was ready to start "living right" - to bring all the planning that went into cultivating my goals & aspirations to fruition. I was ready to be the fantastic person I had built up in my head. And I was ready to take on that person's every different-from-me quality - all at once, of course. 

I'm sure it comes as no surprise that all of this pretty much culminated in a veritable sonic boom of frustration, about two weeks ago. 

Suddenly, it was the middle of January, & I didn't understand where the glittery New Year feeling had gone. Why was I practically stuck to the couch with super-human-strength adhesive? Why, instead of running every day, was I training for a marathon Oreo-eating contest instead? Why was my body actually sore & cramped as a symptom of my lethargy?

It's because I needed to push the "reset" button again.

Every year, we make all these grand plans for the coming 365 days. And every year, we all ask ourselves why, by February, we have fallen back off the wagon. And it's because we are forgetting that that excited, look-I'm-starting-a-brand-new-year feeling is one of the key ingredients in the recipe for success in resolutions.

So, why not press reset each month? Why not come up with sparkly, confetti-dusted February things? That's what I'm going to do. Because we have a new month lying before us, ready to be filled with productive, wonderful things. 

And it doesn't even have to stop there. Why not hit the reset button each week? Each day? Each hour? There is still so much to achieve. And there is still so much time to achieve it all in. I'm going to stop creating my own road blocks. I'm going to barrel ahead, making my way to the future.

FEBRUARY RESOLUTIONS

1. Move. Sweat. Every day. No excuses.
2. Open your eyes. Open your ears. Pay attention to right now.
3. Get lost in books.
4. Indulge in the Type A characteristics you do possess. Schedule the hell out of every day, even if you don't follow it. Clean your house like the Queen of England could pop in for a visit at any moment. Keep records like you're a librarian. Write it all down, just because. These comprise your very own, unique brand of healthy perfectionism. Own them.
5. Stop worrying. Just stop. And just relax. Otherwise, your forehead is quickly going to become a wrinkled mess.

What are your February things?

4 comments:

siddathornton said...

Good thoughts & good goals!
I was thinking the same thing the other day- just how we get so caught up in the new year that once it's been going a month...it already feels old.
Manda from Eat Cake

siddathornton said...

Oh my goodness, embrace the Type A madness. I've been binging on Grocery/Meal planning apps, new calendars and planners, and working with Mint.com on a daily basis. We splurged on a new recycling bin, a new (cheapy) bookshelf, an extra hamper, and more closet hangers last night night and I. Am. So. Ecstatic. There's actually a place for (almost) everything now!
(...can it be called "splurging" if it's all on things you desperately need to keep your sanity?!)

Just go for it. You won't regret it. :)

siddathornton said...

These are beautiful resolutions. It's been my goal to get lost in more books and to RELAX. How is it so difficult to relax?!

siddathornton said...

I love your resolutions!! They're wonderful! And they're all things that I need to take into consideration too. :)

the back and forth.

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