too many ambitions.
I love the new year. It may be my favorite holiday, even if it's perfectly silly for it to fall ten days after the solstice instead of on it. But I love the whole fresh start idea and I love resolutions and ambitions and just all of it. The only problem is I have too many ambitions (a statement which probably doesn't come as a surprise to anybody who's read my blog for more than two weeks). For example, in 2012 I'd like to:
- get fit
- gain a rudimentary grasp of French
- pursue voice lessons
- socialize more
- take a few holidays
- read at least 52 books
- do some art. ANY art (that isn't writing).
- sew something. ANYTHING.
- and of course write several hundred thousand words
Guess which one of those I'll succeed in. :)
Really, I suffer from this delusion that if I'm only *organized* enough I could get all that done. (Then I have people look at me in horror, because apparently I'm organized by their standards.) But in some ways it *is* a matter of organization, and breaking things down. Thoughts about organization, or preparation, or something,
1. Get Fit:
"Get fit" is an irritatingly general statement. There are things I know about myself which can help me get fit. I can't have junk food in the house, for one. Realistically I will never exercise right after lunch, so I should not pretend that my idealized schedule of getting up early to write 1K, doing morning errands et all, having lunch & putting the baby down for his nap, then exercising & writing more, is going to work. What I *should* do is get up, exercise, then write and etc.
Part of the trick is getting myself out of bed to exercise. It's hard enough to do it to get myself to write, and I often have people waiting in the war room for me to write. Nobody's going to be waiting for me to exercise (I don't think the new Kinect has a "It's 5:45am, where the hell are you?" option...). I've always thought the hardest part of exercising is (metaphorically or not) getting to the gym, because I actually *enjoy* it once I get started. It's just, y'know, easier not to. :) So I need to figure that one out, since "discipline" doesn't seem to be quite enough on its own. (OTOH, the Just Dance game for the Kinect is SO REDONKULOUSLY FUN that it may override the "but I don' wanna!" problem...)
2. Gain a rudimentary grasp of French
This requires some kind of audio lessons that can be run while I'm playing with Young Indiana, I suspect.
3. pursue voice lessons
Young Indiana likes it when I sing, so probably all this *really* needs is me to block out time to practice daily, and to get Mom to come over for a once a week class.
4. socialize more
I think this was on my Revolutions list last year too. I started off well, then got sick & behind on work, and everything piled up from there. So I should try again. :)
5. take a few holidays
Like going to France. :)
6. read at least 52 books
This won't happen, I said sadly. I managed 31 books this year, twice as many as last year's pathetic *fifteen*, but who are we kidding, even 52 is only half what I think I *should* be reading, and I haven't gotten near that in years. Sigh.
7. do some art. ANY art (that isn't writing).
A nice thought, but not likely.
8. sew something. ANYTHING.
Sadly this is another "nice thought but no" one. If I'm wrong I'll be delighted.
9. and of course write several hundred thousand words
Yes, well, anybody can do that...
- get fit
- gain a rudimentary grasp of French
- pursue voice lessons
- socialize more
- take a few holidays
- read at least 52 books
- do some art. ANY art (that isn't writing).
- sew something. ANYTHING.
- and of course write several hundred thousand words
Guess which one of those I'll succeed in. :)
Really, I suffer from this delusion that if I'm only *organized* enough I could get all that done. (Then I have people look at me in horror, because apparently I'm organized by their standards.) But in some ways it *is* a matter of organization, and breaking things down. Thoughts about organization, or preparation, or something,
1. Get Fit:
"Get fit" is an irritatingly general statement. There are things I know about myself which can help me get fit. I can't have junk food in the house, for one. Realistically I will never exercise right after lunch, so I should not pretend that my idealized schedule of getting up early to write 1K, doing morning errands et all, having lunch & putting the baby down for his nap, then exercising & writing more, is going to work. What I *should* do is get up, exercise, then write and etc.
Part of the trick is getting myself out of bed to exercise. It's hard enough to do it to get myself to write, and I often have people waiting in the war room for me to write. Nobody's going to be waiting for me to exercise (I don't think the new Kinect has a "It's 5:45am, where the hell are you?" option...). I've always thought the hardest part of exercising is (metaphorically or not) getting to the gym, because I actually *enjoy* it once I get started. It's just, y'know, easier not to. :) So I need to figure that one out, since "discipline" doesn't seem to be quite enough on its own. (OTOH, the Just Dance game for the Kinect is SO REDONKULOUSLY FUN that it may override the "but I don' wanna!" problem...)
2. Gain a rudimentary grasp of French
This requires some kind of audio lessons that can be run while I'm playing with Young Indiana, I suspect.
3. pursue voice lessons
Young Indiana likes it when I sing, so probably all this *really* needs is me to block out time to practice daily, and to get Mom to come over for a once a week class.
4. socialize more
I think this was on my Revolutions list last year too. I started off well, then got sick & behind on work, and everything piled up from there. So I should try again. :)
5. take a few holidays
Like going to France. :)
6. read at least 52 books
This won't happen, I said sadly. I managed 31 books this year, twice as many as last year's pathetic *fifteen*, but who are we kidding, even 52 is only half what I think I *should* be reading, and I haven't gotten near that in years. Sigh.
7. do some art. ANY art (that isn't writing).
A nice thought, but not likely.
8. sew something. ANYTHING.
Sadly this is another "nice thought but no" one. If I'm wrong I'll be delighted.
9. and of course write several hundred thousand words
Yes, well, anybody can do that...