a new beginning for a new year
Here at the beginning of the calendar year, I like to take some time to reflect on my current state of being and that of the world around me. This time around, I've actually been in a mild form of contemplation for a few weeks now, for a number of reasons, so I've done a bit more thinking about things than usual for this period.
One of the things that I've been contemplating is what resolutions I want to commit myself to this year. Last year I committed to five; I accomplished three, but I didn't sustain two of the three that I accomplished. Which is both fair and fine, due to several circumstances in play, but when looking at the whole picture I tend to look for patterns. So I looked, and then I looked back further in considering resolutions from the past few years. As a result, I think I've found a pattern, and it's not one I like, which means that it's something I want to work on changing.
Therefore, this year, my resolutions are all focused on things that will train my strength of will. I've picked three, plus a bonus one for good measure.
Aspen's New Year's Resolutions for 2014
First off, let me talk a little bit about why I've picked this particular focus. I suspect at least a few of you may be thinking, "what do you mean, strength of will, geez Aspen, you're already determined and kind of driven," and you're not wrong. You're not wrong at all. The difference is that I know what I'm capable of if I truly commit to it, and I also know how easy it is for me to let various "other responsibilities" (career-related work is a great example of this) draw away my time and energy and all the little things that go along with not actively supporting and building what I believe to be some of the truly important things in life.
By training my will, I believe that I'll not only be able to find a better life balance, but that I'll be able to sustain it. In doing that, I'll be able to reach beyond myself in very important ways. This isn't about better time management; this is about becoming a better me, and I believe that the time to do that is now, right now, this year.
So with that in mind, here are the "training activities" that I've picked, and a little bit about why for each one.
Item #1: Exercise.
One of the resolutions I didn't succeed at last year was completing a half-marathon -- this despite the fact that I truly enjoy running and find it relaxing. In addition, I've been going to my local gym three times a week or so for the past four months and working out with a trainer, but I've not managed the improvements in personal fitness that I'd like to reach. The key is in those two words "or so;" the key is in the fact that I stopped running while I was finishing my dissertation, and then never picked it back up again the same way that I had been. This laissez-faire approach is bad for my physical health, and it's also bad for my mental health; it subtly reinforces habits of personal failure that I'm not okay with.
This is not to say that there won't be days when I don't hit the goal. There will. Part of training is failure -- and is then getting back up, forgiving myself, and trying again.
I intend to try again, and to keep trying again. That's what this is about.
Item #2: Writing.
I've resolved more than once in the past to finish and submit any of a number of fiction writing projects that I have "in draft." This last November I made it further along the NaNo path than I've ever done before... and what kept me from finishing was that I didn't write on a daily basis. I let other things draw me away; I made other things my priority, and in doing so I let the prize slip out of reach.
No longer. By writing something every day, I will teach myself the habit of writing. In doing so, I'll not only reach the fiction goal, but I'll also add to the number of scientific manuscripts that I have out there, and I'll improve communication with people here and elsewhere. I'm not committing to what I'll write daily, you see; it could be a blog post, a letter, a short story, a page of a larger project, so forth and so on. It's the act of writing itself that's the key here, and that's what I'm committing to do.
Item #3: Conscious self-development.
We're all creatures of comfort to some degree. Comfort's easy and soothing; it's nice and it feels good. There's nothing wrong with comfort. My problem lies in when comfort becomes passive acceptance; when it ends up leading me to be stuck in the proverbial rut. I don't want to do that. I want to keep learning and growing and developing and branching upward and outward, and by making this resolution, I'm committing to actively work on doing just that.
Item #4: no falling on pie.
This one's been on the list since a promise made to
varadia in 2008, and I still don't plan on changing it any time soon. :) Consider it a promise that in pursuing all the things above, I won't drive myself beyond the pale into true danger. Discomfort maybe, but I promise that if I jump out of a plane (again), I'll pack a parachute along.
Okay, 2014. I'm throwing down the gauntlet. Let's do this.
For historical comparison:
This entry was originally posted at http://silveraspen.dreamwidth.org/305665.html and mirrored to LJ. Please comment where you wish! (There are
comments currently posted at Dreamwidth.)
One of the things that I've been contemplating is what resolutions I want to commit myself to this year. Last year I committed to five; I accomplished three, but I didn't sustain two of the three that I accomplished. Which is both fair and fine, due to several circumstances in play, but when looking at the whole picture I tend to look for patterns. So I looked, and then I looked back further in considering resolutions from the past few years. As a result, I think I've found a pattern, and it's not one I like, which means that it's something I want to work on changing.
Therefore, this year, my resolutions are all focused on things that will train my strength of will. I've picked three, plus a bonus one for good measure.
Aspen's New Year's Resolutions for 2014
- I will exercise every single day.
- I will write something every single day.
- I will perform an act of conscious self-development every single day.
- I will not fall on pie.
First off, let me talk a little bit about why I've picked this particular focus. I suspect at least a few of you may be thinking, "what do you mean, strength of will, geez Aspen, you're already determined and kind of driven," and you're not wrong. You're not wrong at all. The difference is that I know what I'm capable of if I truly commit to it, and I also know how easy it is for me to let various "other responsibilities" (career-related work is a great example of this) draw away my time and energy and all the little things that go along with not actively supporting and building what I believe to be some of the truly important things in life.
By training my will, I believe that I'll not only be able to find a better life balance, but that I'll be able to sustain it. In doing that, I'll be able to reach beyond myself in very important ways. This isn't about better time management; this is about becoming a better me, and I believe that the time to do that is now, right now, this year.
So with that in mind, here are the "training activities" that I've picked, and a little bit about why for each one.
Item #1: Exercise.
One of the resolutions I didn't succeed at last year was completing a half-marathon -- this despite the fact that I truly enjoy running and find it relaxing. In addition, I've been going to my local gym three times a week or so for the past four months and working out with a trainer, but I've not managed the improvements in personal fitness that I'd like to reach. The key is in those two words "or so;" the key is in the fact that I stopped running while I was finishing my dissertation, and then never picked it back up again the same way that I had been. This laissez-faire approach is bad for my physical health, and it's also bad for my mental health; it subtly reinforces habits of personal failure that I'm not okay with.
This is not to say that there won't be days when I don't hit the goal. There will. Part of training is failure -- and is then getting back up, forgiving myself, and trying again.
I intend to try again, and to keep trying again. That's what this is about.
Item #2: Writing.
I've resolved more than once in the past to finish and submit any of a number of fiction writing projects that I have "in draft." This last November I made it further along the NaNo path than I've ever done before... and what kept me from finishing was that I didn't write on a daily basis. I let other things draw me away; I made other things my priority, and in doing so I let the prize slip out of reach.
No longer. By writing something every day, I will teach myself the habit of writing. In doing so, I'll not only reach the fiction goal, but I'll also add to the number of scientific manuscripts that I have out there, and I'll improve communication with people here and elsewhere. I'm not committing to what I'll write daily, you see; it could be a blog post, a letter, a short story, a page of a larger project, so forth and so on. It's the act of writing itself that's the key here, and that's what I'm committing to do.
Item #3: Conscious self-development.
We're all creatures of comfort to some degree. Comfort's easy and soothing; it's nice and it feels good. There's nothing wrong with comfort. My problem lies in when comfort becomes passive acceptance; when it ends up leading me to be stuck in the proverbial rut. I don't want to do that. I want to keep learning and growing and developing and branching upward and outward, and by making this resolution, I'm committing to actively work on doing just that.
Item #4: no falling on pie.
This one's been on the list since a promise made to
varadia in 2008, and I still don't plan on changing it any time soon. :) Consider it a promise that in pursuing all the things above, I won't drive myself beyond the pale into true danger. Discomfort maybe, but I promise that if I jump out of a plane (again), I'll pack a parachute along.
Okay, 2014. I'm throwing down the gauntlet. Let's do this.
For historical comparison:
- 2013 resolutions.
- 2012 resolutions.
- 2011 resolutions.
- 2010 resolutions.
- 2009 resolutions - none on file.
- 2008 resolutions.
This entry was originally posted at http://silveraspen.dreamwidth.org/305665.html and mirrored to LJ. Please comment where you wish! (There are
comments currently posted at Dreamwidth.)