When asked if I make resolutions for the New Year, I will tell you that no, I do not.

But that is not entirely truthful.  I do reflect on the year gone past and consider actions I can take to alter my life path moving forward.  Some of these considerations I weave into my daily routine and they stay with me, others I reject or allow to gently and quietly fade, allowing no judgement to fall upon me.

I don’t tend to share my “resolutions”.  Once they are spoken they take on a weight that I find uncomfortable.  Expectations can be heavy.  But then there is this – what if I simply don’t allow them to take on this unwanted mass, what if I just write about them and let them float out there for me to ponder on?

My thoughts on 2019 (formulated while showering this morning):

1. Hour of Action – This thought goes something like this:  I will set aside one hour every weekend (or maybe each weekend day) that I will tackle some task that I do not normally do.  A short list of such tasks could look like: clean out the refrigerator, bathe and brush the dogs, wash the baseboards, clean out a closet, organize my dresser, bake banana bread, pull weeds in a forgotten area of the yard.  You get the idea.  These are tasks or events, unlike vacuuming, dish washing, and laundry, that are not typical (at least not typical to me!).  They don’t have to be things I dread like deep cleaning the toilet (is that even a thing?) or doing a complete litter change and bleaching of the cats’ litter boxes.  It could be something as lovely as baking oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with the boys.  Not something I typically do, but something that really should be done because I want to but never seem to do.
2. Picture a Day – This one may be cheating because I’ve already started doing this.  Last week I sent a text to my longest time friend with a picture of a Christmas ornament she have given me many years ago.  I don’t remember how it got started (and I am too lazy to get up from my desk to get my phone and read over our text thread) but I told her I would start texting her a picture a day until she was sick of me.  Well, she has not been, rather quite the opposite, for she texts me back with a picture too – pictures of random moments in our lives.  Pictures of cats, pictures of cousins dancing with their grand kids and Santa, pictures of rainbow colored stuffed animal owls wearing glasses, and pictures from our backyard.  Have I remembered to send one everyday?  No.  Do I beat myself up over this?  No.
3. Lose Weight – Healthy Actions – I am not overweight, but I wouldn’t mind being a bit more trim and fit.  I would like to have a more healthy body and mind, a more healthy lifestyle.  This thought entails being cognizant of actions I take to improve my health, in whatever form this may take and writing down these actions to hold myself accountable.  It could be as simple as not having seconds at dinner or starting my day with a positive thought, or it could be something larger such as joining (and actually utilizing) a gym.

Hot showers – free from the needs of kids and sheltered from the lurking cat who likes to rub against my legs and then randomly attack them – are where some of my greatest ideas form.  I am not sure that these are some of those greatest ideas, but they sound good enough to try out.

I raise my glass of champagne, or mug of coffee as it may be, to you.

Laugh, love, listen.  Be kind to yourself and others.

 ~Shoes~