The Week in Between; The Week After

The Week in Between
Measured anticipation.

On Christmas, there's an air of excited expectation. Gifts galore. Family in town. Stuff to do. People to see.  On New Year's Eve, there's a decided plan for recreation.  A precise moment in time to take stock. A celebration of culmination.  The opportunity to start fresh.

The week in between is strange blend. The hustle bustle of Christmas gives way to a week of returns and penance for overindulgences.  Malls are jam packed, presents and cards still coming in, holiday guests are still lingering (special thanks to the "Great Blizzard of 2010")...  There's always plenty to do the week between Christmas and New Year's.  Somehow it feels both hectic and slow moving.  It's the eye of the storm.

The Week After
Resolved reflection.

A joyous celebration on New Year's Eve, New Year's Day is hangover.  We're reflecting on the previous year, planning for the new one.   Now, there's the optimism of a new beginning.  A renewed hope for tomorrow. Comfort that the past, 2010, is gone, done, finished, kaput.

Horay! Let's get started.  New diets.  New commitments.  Everything is new again.

Until next week.  When work will resettle.  The holiday will guests go home.  Things will return to normal.  What will make this year different?


For 2011 & Beyond
Measured resolve.

The trouble with traditional resolutions is that they tend to be huge, unachievable things, without a timeline or even an actionable plan.  Instead, this year, I resolve to change and grow on a different, more tangible timeline.   Instead of one big list of New Year's resolutions, I'm going for one single, realistic goal a week.  That's 52 smaller, bite-sized intentions.

This week?  
This is partially guided by the fact that I'm reading Tim Ferriss' Four Hour Body and partly because on the advice of gal pal Denise Costello of the Energized Body; this week, I'm going to really try to incorporate protein into every meal (and snack) that I eat.  If you know me, you know I have a love for all things carby and delicious, not necessarily nutritious, so this may be quite a feat.

What about you?  Are you looking at resolutions differently this year?  Share your ideas.

Resolutions for 2010?

I've been meaning to post my resolutions for the coming year since New Year's. No need to reference a calendar, I know what month it is. What's the hold up, you're probably wondering?

Last time I posted New Year's resolutions was in 2008. Last year, was a year of major transitions but it didn't start it off with resolutions; it was just constantly moving. This year has felt much the same--big changes, constantly reevaluating conflicting moving parts to get the best outcome.

The usual resolutions have felt a bit halfhearted or contrived. Yes, I do want to eat healthier. Yes, I want to be better about saving money (and get myself completely out of debt). Yes, I want to write more (hence the writing project). But the truth is, for 2010, my resolutions involve states of being.

I resolve here to be happier in 2010.

That looks simple in text, but sounds particularly difficult. The marketer in me is asking how I'm going to measure that. I don't have an answer for that. How do you count smiles per day?

It's a matter of mindset. A friend of mine used to quote High Fidelity on a regular basis, "How hard is it to decide to be in a good mood and be in a good mood ... ?" It's really easy to get wrapped up in the drama of every day life; it's a lot harder to remain consistently upbeat. I used to think it was contrived when I'd see people behave as though everything was fantastic; now it seems like a fake-it-till-you-make-it mentality. Why not be happier?

Again, easier said then done. Here's how I intend to do it:

• Laugh Often
  
• Let Go of Things Quicker -- This one will probably be the hardest for me, as my clan tends to hold onto things for a long time (physical and emotional).
  
• Accept Things as They Are -- I have a strong desire to promote positive change that can sometimes hinder my own happiness.
• Stay Active -- Movement helps clear your head. And it makes you feel better physically (yay, yoga!).

I'll keep you posted on my progress.


The photo is a shirt from Threadless.com called "School Taught Me a Valuable Lesson; I'm Still Paying for It."

New Years' Resolutions: Yeah Rights and For Serious

Tis the season of self awareness... well, no. We have a season of giving, then we have some time for self reflection and introspection. Perhaps this is another tradition that's gotten away from us (like the holiday season). But after all the holiday mayhem, there are a few days to reset yourself and think about what you want to do differently in the coming year.

Yeah Rights
The other day, I shared a few "yeah right" resolutions on Twitter. And a couple of the regular twitter-verse chimed in too. Most everyone joked about cutting out coffee--in fact, the idea of giving up coffee prompted the "yeah right" resolution discussion.

In a post called 10 Reasons Not To Make New Year's Resolution This Year, Jeffrey Strain of the Saving Advice blog wrote a post blasting the whole tradition of creating New Years resolutions. One of his major critiques is that people make resolutions like they're writing down a wish list--resolutions should be attainable goals. And when you decide on a goal for yourself, you should start immediately.

For Serious
So today is the day. What resolutions, err, goals do I have for the coming year?

Here's the short list:

• Eat healthy. To me, diet is another four-letter word. So I normally ignore it. This year, I want to focus on eating healthy.
• Substitute tea for my morning coffee.
  
• Post often. I decided to participate in blog365. That's the goal--let's see if I can do it.
  
• Start saving. I've been out of college for a few months now and it's time to start putting some mullah away.
  
• I've chosen a small amount I can squirrel away each month in a high interest savings account. Every month.
  

Is there something you really want to do this year? One major thing you want to change? Please share in the comments.

Finding People in the Blogosphere: Blast from the Past

I'm absolutely amazed. Five or six years ago, when I was looking at colleges, I visited the University of Washington's daily paper. At the time, I was editor-in-chief of my high school paper (Cat Tracks) and I thought it was super important to establish a relationship with the staff at the paper before choosing a school--Really, it was a practice I should have been more diligent about keeping up, because I hardly set foot in the newsroom at BU in my four years there.

In any case, one of the people I met at the U-Dub newsroom googled my name and came up with my blog. And he left me a comment on the most current post he found--a post on new year's resolutions (one of which was to post more, which I don't seem to be doing that well at).

In such close proximity to the new year, it's really nice to be reminded of what I thought was really important six years ago. I loved writing, which is why I was applying to journalism programs. At the time, I remember feeling like journalists could expose important truths of history in the making by being the first eyes on the seen. I believed, as I still do to some extent, that the fourth estate was and is charged with the upkeep of the first amendment more so than the government that founded that right. That responsibility necessitates unbiased reporting.



It's funny how a blog can connect people who haven't spoken, or even thought about one another, in six years. I would expect such interactions to take place on Facebook or MySpace, but my blog has become an unexpected vehicle for reigniting past connections--and a way to remind me of the changes I've made in the past few years. What an unexpected way to start my day.

Resolutions

What can I do better this year?

Post more frequently on this here blog... I've got to learn to play through the pain and rock the writers' block!


Lead a healthier life. I need to eat better. I need to exercise.
But doesn't everyone say that?
I feel like if there's a list of the most used, canned new year's resolutions, diet and exercise are number one and two on that list.


Study. I miss school. This year, I want to read more about random archaeological digs, traveling, and whatever sounds good. Basically, I want to read all the books I didn't have time to read while I was in school.


There are many more things I can improve on. I could be more spontaneous. I could more thoughtfully choose my words. I could do a lot of things.

I could hit sent on this post before I ramble on for too long... Right. Done.