New Year Resolutions

 ... Or meandering time for a procrastinating procrastinator

Here we go again - another New Year; another list of well intended resolutions; another December 31st when reflection struggles to recall the failed resolutions made a year ago; another day spent stoking the fire of motivation and ambition, tempered only by the nagging doubt that yet again you'll find yourself unable to follow through, you'll leave the fire unattended, return to find barely glowing embers and kick them in frustration into the dust: another precious year will slip through your fingers.

Am I generally a glass half empty or half full sort of person? - I'm definitely happiest when there is something in the glass - but regarding the subject of making and breaking resolutions, I'm definitely glass half empty ... or drained of every last, hope giving drop.But bear with me a little longer in this procrastinating monologue, while I stop to consider if it might be in my power to change this ... could this year be different? Can I keep the flame burning? Can I succeed where before I have always, always failed? How could this be done?

For starters, these are the resolutions I would like to make -


Eat less - too obvious, too predictable, far too common and unless you are a gym-bunny or anxious re-tread, far too likely to fail. Goes hand in miserable hand with Get fitter and Lose weight

Write!!!!!!! and Submit - yes! yes! yes!

Keep a cleaner, tidier house - this may involve killing the felonious kleptosquaters first (you'll have to search previous blogs to find out who they are) and may therefore be messy ... or impossible, given that I suspect they are a figment of my imagination dreamt up to define my disorganisation and forgetfulness and general tardiness and perennial state of procrastination

Cook from fresh more and strive to eat five a day - or if we believe the Americans is it eight or even ten a day, and apart from broccoli and peas how do you get kids to eat their greens? Chocolate coated sprouts anyone?

Be happier, more confident, more relaxed - think this might require a lottery win, so perhaps I should resolve to purchase a lottery ticket every week, although I expect that resolving to stop buying lottery tickets and stop wasting hours planning exactly how to divide the winnings between family, friends, good causes, cars, presents, another dog and holidays might be a better, more noble resolution

Clear the mess that is the fruit cage - this might upset Four-legged-friend who transmutates from gooseberry, to strawberry, to raspberry thief through the summer, but he'll thank me in the long term if it's healthier and tidier


... What a terribly selfish, resolving person I am ... what happened to -


Give more to charity


Volunteer


Be generous with my time


Keep in better contact with family and friends


Walk the dog more



Are these better? Well yes! ... more achievable? - maybe.

So which resolutions really matter? What are yours?

Perhaps, we need to limit ourselves to a couple from each list - the achievable things we want to do for ourselves and the selfless, character enhancing things we do for others.

 I think the secret might be to choose things that are achievable, affordable and ambitious - the first, because we might just succeed, the second because we have to be realistic, and the third because we need to be stretched a little or else it will all be too easy and what's the point of a New Year's Resolution if at the end of the day we don't feel good about it?

So, after all this meandering, here are my New Year Resolutions -



Actually, I'm keeping them to myself. That way I'll enjoy the satisfaction of succeeding. Or won't have to admit to anyone if I fail - I can just crawl into my shell and berate myself. All over again.

Have a very Happy New Year. Good luck with your resolutions.

And thank you for reading.