2010: Resolutions

New year resolutions. This is usually my opportunity to make a list of "rules" which it will take me all of a week (sometimes less) to break. And so, in the interest of making this a useful exercise for me, as well as something that is more meaningful to me than "lose 50 pounds," I have decided to change how I do this. I am not making rules. Instead, I have developed a set of *guidelines* to help me make decisions I will be happy with. I want to be a positive influence, a generator of good energies and comfortable in my own skin while happy with my life. (Don't we all?) One of my closest friends, Mary Chimato, says on a regular basis, "You get back what you put out there." I want to be more conscious of what I am putting out. I want to have some touchstones for when things get wonky and I become unsure. And so, I give you my resolutions for 2010:


Resolution 1: Concentrate on the happy. Work to make self more of an optimist and channel for positive energy, actively work to decrease exposure to negative influences and energies.


Resolution 2: Concentrate on the healthy. When I eat better and exercise, I *feel* better - i feel stronger, more capable, I sleep better, I get sick less often. Yes, it takes effort, and time. But my feelgood, my mental & physical health, and my life balance is worth it.


Resolution 3: Concentrate on the love. Focus my energy on what I love about my work, my friends, my family, my home, and myself. Expand the love bubble by trying new and interesting things, staying in better touch with those I love, and meeting new folks.


Resolution 4: Concentrate on the experience: there are things I want to try and have been putting off for various reasons. Oil painting, figure drawing, brushing up on some foreign languages (spanish, italian), reading the Russian poets, doing some translation work in poetry, earning a doctorate. (Dare I add, dating?) I will not shrink from these.


Resolution 5: Concentrate on generosity - both toward others and toward myself, and in terms of not just "things" but also time and energy.


Resolution 6: Concentrate on clarity. Practicing yoga, keeping the apartment relatively clutter-free, having a dedicated writing space, and working on keeping work separate from home all helps me to keep a clear head and feel in control of my time.


All in all, a useful set of guidelines, I think, and a list I'll be able to come back to as touchstones to see how I am faring through the next year.


I hope everyone has a happy, prosperous and healthy 2010, and that your resolutions center around your happiness and not your waistline :)

Comments

jilmeka said…
Wow, Colleen! Let me know how you do with these. This is an ambitious list. But all important things. Good luck in 2010.
2:27 AM
Anonymous said…
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12:43 AM
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