Sure, New Years Resolutions are basically the most repetitive things out there with the exception of episodes of Jerry Springer and Maury Povich. I admittedly just had a good chuckle reading through all of the "This is the year I lose weight! #blessed," "2013, everyday is a gift," "Starting the next chapter...now!" But even though I laugh a little, what's so bad about looking back and making goals...? Not much, really. Self reflection ain't such a bad thing, and doing so once a year is healthier than it is unhealthy, so what the hell. Maybe the people who poo-poo grand goals are stuck satisfied with the status quo...or maybe they're right where they want to be (but I doubt it).
Rather than a typical list of resolutions, I have come up with a handful of things I'd like to do less...and more...and hopefully not just in 2013.
Eating/hoarding candy at the office.
This is honestly becoming an issue. Not only am I gorging on unprecedented amounts of goodies, but I am building up a scary inventory of Rolos, Snickers, 100 Grands, Butterfingers, and the like. Kind of a kelpto-candy-mania, if you will.
In addition to the candy, I have become a bit of a scavenger. It doesn't help that there is literally a birthday, holiday, or retirement celebration every other day in my office. Cake icing is my weakness...and kryptonite.
In addition to the candy, I have become a bit of a scavenger. It doesn't help that there is literally a birthday, holiday, or retirement celebration every other day in my office. Cake icing is my weakness...and kryptonite.
Hanging out/procrastinating by a treadmill instead of running on it.
Fear of incidents like this will help get me on this stinker on winter nights when all I wanna do is run outside.
Fear of incidents like this will help get me on this stinker on winter nights when all I wanna do is run outside.
Being an occasional curmudgeon/continuing to be moody even after I've realized that I am being unnecessarily moody.
We've all been there. That moment where you become conscious of how much of a stinker you are being, but fall back on the excuse, "well it's too late to salvage it now..." Baloney. That's just curmudgeonly laziness. Suck it up, apologize, hug it out, move on.HOWEVER...if I am going to be a curmudgeon, I hope to be on the same level as this bull dog pup:
Saying weak/awesome sauce.
I adore those phrases...but it's time for something new. Marvelous marmalade, anyone?
Being honest when it doesn't matter and may unnecessarily hurt someone's feelings.
I've been known to have a lack of a filter...accompanied by an abundance of bluntness. A lot of the time, this is deemed a good thing. I often admire this quality in others as well--the ability to tell it like it is and voice an opinion without fear of judgement. On the flip side, however, being "honest" by voicing an unwarranted and unnecessary opinion simply to voice an opinion is just that: unwarranted and unnecessary. An example on a rather small scale, I have a habit of correcting grammar...so unless it is just so bad that I simply cannot bite my tongue...I am going to try to just swallow that habit.
Waiting for people to figure things out for me.
Complaining.
Especially about things like my XM radio not working. Or my Siri not understanding what I'm trying to say when I use speech-to-text. Or not having any spending money after paying my ridiculously high rent. That means I make enough to at least get by with a ridiculously high rent. So...
Giving in to preposterous posture (couldn't resist).
I seriously sit like Sonic the Hedgehog runs--curled up in a ball.
Trying to pass literally everyone I see running no matter how far ahead of me they are.
I have literally pulled my ass doing this. Like actually ripped an ass muscle. I think I can still consider it a strong, fast run, even if I never get ahead of the speedy little man a half mile ahead of me. A stupid runner is the one that rips an ass muscle and is therefore unable to pass a person moseying ahead of them in the grocery aisle. End of story.
Do More:
Write everyday. Whether it be things overheard on the metro, daily ramblings, social commentary, or this doohickey.
Despite the fact that I spend many of my work days writing and editing software requirements documents, work does not count for this one. That is good for structural and grammar practice, sure, but it is not the kind of writing that will get me where I want to be. Moreover, as is true for running, writing is a therapeutic outlet for me. More writing = less curmudgeon-ism.
High-fiving.
I friggin' love high fives.
Especially turkey high-fives.
I friggin' love high fives.
Let people take care of me.
I've become somewhat notorious for being emotionally...stubborn and handicapped. The most bass-ackwards part is that I tend to care and do things for other people and expect nothing whatsoever in return. And this is not because I'm this first-class, stand-up, wonder-being... I simply enjoy showing people I care about and appreciate them...but I am conversely uncomfortable with and almost scared of letting people doing the same for me. That is not to say, however, that I am ungrateful in any fashion. Quite the opposite. In any event, I think it's about time I worked on not being such a stubborn nimrod and just gave in to feeling good.
Take better care of other people.
This goes without saying. It should always be a goal.
Treat myself.
I don't necessarily mean I'm going to drink Mimosas and buy FINE LEATHAH GOODS like Tom and Donna from Parks and Recreation, but I do think that I, and many others as well, need to consider making this kind of thing more of a priority. For me, this means doing things like creating a 6-pack at the grocery store, ordering a pair of obnoxiously bright running shoes, getting fro-yo with a ridiculous number of toppings for lunch during a long workday, putting whipped cream on my coffee (or anything for that matter) just because, or shamelessly spending an entire day watching Modern Family/Friends/Boy Meets World/The Office/Parks & Rec...you get the idea.
Think more about how to get where I want to be instead of sitting around at the office like this:
Take better care of other people.
This goes without saying. It should always be a goal.
Treat myself.
I don't necessarily mean I'm going to drink Mimosas and buy FINE LEATHAH GOODS like Tom and Donna from Parks and Recreation, but I do think that I, and many others as well, need to consider making this kind of thing more of a priority. For me, this means doing things like creating a 6-pack at the grocery store, ordering a pair of obnoxiously bright running shoes, getting fro-yo with a ridiculous number of toppings for lunch during a long workday, putting whipped cream on my coffee (or anything for that matter) just because, or shamelessly spending an entire day watching Modern Family/Friends/Boy Meets World/The Office/Parks & Rec...you get the idea.
Think more about how to get where I want to be instead of sitting around at the office like this:
Be honest when it matters, even if it hurts.
This is the other end of the spectrum from the unwarranted and unnecessary honesty. I have gotten myself into trouble by denying how I'm feeling, fearing losing someone or something, being afraid of ending up hurt, being afraid of hurting someone else, etc, etc, etc. I know I am not alone in this, but that does not make it okay. Cowardice is succumbing to this notion. Courage is owning up to it.
SLOW THE EFF DOWN.
Seriously. Ferris Bueller said it best:
This is the other end of the spectrum from the unwarranted and unnecessary honesty. I have gotten myself into trouble by denying how I'm feeling, fearing losing someone or something, being afraid of ending up hurt, being afraid of hurting someone else, etc, etc, etc. I know I am not alone in this, but that does not make it okay. Cowardice is succumbing to this notion. Courage is owning up to it.
SLOW THE EFF DOWN.
Seriously. Ferris Bueller said it best:
I want to physically slow my days down. Many of us get so trapped in the busy. Yeah, that's right, I just made "busy" a noun. It has become a "thing." There are so many days where I am plowing around the office like a Roomba vacuum in fast-forward. Then I skedaddle home, atomic bomb myself into new clothes, rush out the door for a run, let every little idea and worry speed through my brainwaves, jump into the shower, throw some dinner together, shovel said dinner into my gullet, then scoot into bed...only to have my brain continue running at ludicrous speed.
I want to pay attention to the minutes as they pass. Breathe a little deeper, see a little more, worry a little less.
Drink more water, less coffee.
I have been known to drink 2 large coffees and 2 small sips of water at work on a given day. I'm not expert, but that's probably not the best medicine for a long run.
Take the advice that I give to other people.
If I am being honest with myself, I am guilty of not doing this quite often. I think I am a pretty good listener, a pretty thoughtful advice giver, and overall, a fairly logical person...but I am more stubborn than anything else. Even when I hear myself giving advice to someone else that I am too chicken to actually own up to, I still have a hard time breaking that barrier and making a change.
Smile at and say hi to people on the DC Metro.
I'm as guilty as the next person for sleepily zoning out to me iPod and staring out the window, but there is no reason why I shouldn't share a friendly hello with another human being. I know that it can truly help brighten a day because it has worked for me in the past. Smiling more even when you don't feel like it can trick your brain into thinking you are in a good mood. Kind of like gum tricking your stomach into thinking it is being fed...or that time I taught myself to like Wasabi Peas.
Take the stairs.
I live on the 2nd floor of my apartment and work on the 3rd floor at the office...and despite being scared of elevators, nearly always forgo the stairs. And for someone who takes fitness and health pretty seriously, this my friends, is sloth at its finest.
Read more.
Yeah, yeah, I know everyone says this. But I have no excuse because I actually LOVE reading. Why am I not doing it then? I blame the interwebs and good TV...and my GD laziness. These are the next 3 books on my list:
"Wild" - Cheryl Strayed
@CherylStrayed
"Half A Life" - Darin Strauss
@DarinStrauss
Take the advice that I give to other people.
If I am being honest with myself, I am guilty of not doing this quite often. I think I am a pretty good listener, a pretty thoughtful advice giver, and overall, a fairly logical person...but I am more stubborn than anything else. Even when I hear myself giving advice to someone else that I am too chicken to actually own up to, I still have a hard time breaking that barrier and making a change.
Smile at and say hi to people on the DC Metro.
I'm as guilty as the next person for sleepily zoning out to me iPod and staring out the window, but there is no reason why I shouldn't share a friendly hello with another human being. I know that it can truly help brighten a day because it has worked for me in the past. Smiling more even when you don't feel like it can trick your brain into thinking you are in a good mood. Kind of like gum tricking your stomach into thinking it is being fed...or that time I taught myself to like Wasabi Peas.
Take the stairs.
I live on the 2nd floor of my apartment and work on the 3rd floor at the office...and despite being scared of elevators, nearly always forgo the stairs. And for someone who takes fitness and health pretty seriously, this my friends, is sloth at its finest.
Read more.
Yeah, yeah, I know everyone says this. But I have no excuse because I actually LOVE reading. Why am I not doing it then? I blame the interwebs and good TV...and my GD laziness. These are the next 3 books on my list:
"Wild" - Cheryl Strayed
@CherylStrayed
@DarinStrauss
@AJJacobs
Be mindful everyday of what I have to be thankful for.
There's a lot to be said for not only looking at the big picture everyday, but also the tiniest of tiny good things that happen on a given day. Like today, I slept in later than I have in months (11am baby) and found a bag of peanut M&Ms in my laptop bag. BOOYAH.
Make use of my internet obsession and share more of the gems I stumble upon.
Yeah Lamb:
And finally, friends, I leave you with an image that encapsulates the the bulk of the spirit of 2012 (via Reddit)
I do wish you all the happiest of New Years. May 2013 be better than 2012, but not as good as 2014.
Be mindful everyday of what I have to be thankful for.
There's a lot to be said for not only looking at the big picture everyday, but also the tiniest of tiny good things that happen on a given day. Like today, I slept in later than I have in months (11am baby) and found a bag of peanut M&Ms in my laptop bag. BOOYAH.
Make use of my internet obsession and share more of the gems I stumble upon.
Yeah Lamb:
And finally, friends, I leave you with an image that encapsulates the the bulk of the spirit of 2012 (via Reddit)
I do wish you all the happiest of New Years. May 2013 be better than 2012, but not as good as 2014.
Now go outside and do something.
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