As I drive through town I notice that every gym parking lot
is bursting with cars (not mine), and at the grocery store yesterday I was
shocked to find the spinach and leafy greens shelf almost empty. Never ever have
I seen that before. Like ever. (A shout out to Taylor Swift here, from my
daughter.)
Ninety percent of Americans make resolutions for the New
Year, while only thirty percent are still working on them come May. We all do
it differently. Some of us set specific goals such as no late night eating,
while others favor to-do lists to jumpstart spring cleaning or household
projects. Regardless, our resolutions are all in the flavor of having a fresh start.
I find that the New Year feels like the ultimate cleansing
shower. I begin by officially forgiving myself
of the bad habits I fell into, leaving my pre-frontal cortex’s dry-erase board wiped
clean. It is similar to the feeling I get after visiting my priest for the
Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is definitely a “Yippee!” moment.
In addition to a sort of exfoliating shower, I begin the New
Year with a stiff drink laden with bold hopes and dreams for the coming year. My
goals this year are two-fold. Some are on an energetic level, or spiritual
level. They are food for my soul. Others are purely physical in nature, and
will inevitably give me a run for my money.
I decided not to be too overzealous this year with my
resolutions. In years past I would
categorize my goals for the year, listing financial, spiritual, health-related ,
family, and personal goals. I even prioritized within the categories. It looked
really nice and covered the gamut of things I wanted for my life but it felt
very unforgiving. It was too black and white, with hard edges and tall cliffs
to fall from. In the end I found it scary and repulsive. So this year I am in a forgiving mood and decided
to list only a couple of things that will greatly improve the general health
and happiness in our home.
I came across this quote the other day and have decided to
make it my mantra for 2013: “We can only
be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our
treasures.” Thomton Wilder said it,
and I am going to live it. So first I decided that my heart is not conscious of
anything other than survival when I
am pursuing high intensity, strenuous physical exercise. So this year, for my
physical goals, I have decided to embrace some of my innate comforts. Slow,
long, mindfulness exercise such as yoga, meditation, long walks, and farm
chores are on my list. I am leaving triathlons to my husband.
As for seeing and appreciating the treasures around me I am
looking closely at my precious little family and making goals for more ease and
enjoyment out of each day. “Less on our plates” is a physical goal referring to
ice-cream portion sizes, while it also encompasses the goal for our family’s
calendar. Fewer afterschool activities will leave more time for cuddles with
Brooklynn at bedtime, and testosterone-rich activities such as boxing and wrestling
for my boys. Daddy gets to referee.
Another resolution for the New Year involves my hubby. After
seeing the movie This Is 40 together
over the holidays, we have decided to bring
the fun back. Tree climbing, skeet shooting, and trail riding are a few of
the ideas we came up with to enjoy each other sans kids. Spending time together
uninterrupted by Star Wars conversations will be good for us, I think.
So that is it. New Year, new fun, and happiness in
abundance. Oh, and I am swearing off cheese and sausage because I ate so much
of it in Wisconsin at Christmas time that I’m afraid my legs might begin
looking like cheese and sausage. And no one wants that to happen in 2013. 
