I’ve never really been one for resolutions, especially not of the “New Year” variety. Why is it only once per year that people resolve to better themselves? Goals can be set at any point in time!
…yet, somehow, I never really set them.
It’s not that I don’t have aspirations; it’s more that I’ve never really formalized them. Who knows; maybe I’m afraid that if I say them out loud or write them down, I won’t actually achieve them and then I’ll be a failure.
For some reason, though, this year seems different. For the past few years, one of my best girlfriends and her son (my godson) have come to visit on New Year’s Eve, and on New Year’s Day, we do a traditional Southern New Year’s meal – ham, collards, black-eyed peas, and cornbread – for good luck and wealth and whatever else. This year, for the first time, we took a moment to go around the table and talk about what was good with 2013 and what we hope to accomplish in 2014. My husband came up with the idea out of nowhere, so I was caught off guard and had no idea what to say – and I had to go second, so I didn’t have much time to think. What came out of my mouth was:
“I want to do a triathlon.”
I’m not 100% sure where that came from. In 2013, I did the following:
- My first 5k, and the last mile was a struggle.
- Rode a bike (a real one, not an exercise one) for the first time since I got my driver’s license and a car 12 years ago. It made my butt hurt and I was terrified that I was going to fall off.
As far as swimming, I haven’t done laps since college, when I took swim conditioning as one of my PE classes. I’m a decent swimmer; I did swim team when I was a kid and lifeguarded in high school. I can’t do flip turns, however; they terrify me, which is why I quit swim team. I also don’t currently belong to a gym with a pool, although there is an aquatic center nearby that I can visit for $5 a day.
However, once I said it, I started thinking about it, and it didn’t seem like such a bad idea. I enjoy all three activities, at least until I start feeling like I am going to die, and I figure that the more I practice, the longer it will take for me to start feeling that way. A more general goal of mine is to get in better shape and tone up – I’m at a healthy weight, but I’m becoming painfully aware that thirty is looming and that things are not quite where they were six or seven years ago – I’ve especially noticed a change over the past two-and-a-half years. Maybe having a more specific goal – doing a triathlon – will help in achieving my more general goal.
That got me thinking about other things that I would like to accomplish this year, so I finally decided to make a list – and now I’m finally making it! I’m only a few weeks late.
- Write more. (Starting that one today, yay!) I love writing, but I always seem to have an excuse as to why I don’t have the time. (Yet I’m on what level in Candy Crush Saga?)
- As previously mentioned, do a triathlon. There are a lot of “mini” ones that I feel would be a good starting point, where you swim 500 yards, run a 5k, and bike 10 miles, or something like that.
- Speaking of writing, write down my recipes. I’ve gotten really into cooking, to the point where I never follow a recipe anymore, but then I don’t write down what I do. Now, I can share them on here!
- Get the house in the shape I want it in. More on that one later!
- To go along with #4, get my craft room set up and organized so I can actually finish the projects I’ve started. Then – start an Etsy shop! I used to make and sell jewelry, but it’s been a while.
I think five is good for now. I’m always bad about over-committing myself and then not having time to finish anything on time. Although maybe I should also set a goal to stop doing that…
When Happiness Comes 