I’m not really one for resolutions but I am going to try to gently alter a few things in my life – a new direction rather than a resolution or specific goal.
Firstly, I will read more. I still have unread books on my shelf that were gifts from Christmas in 2011.
I have a Kindle filled with new fiction and personal development books that I bought
because they piqued my interest but never got around to reading. I was excited to discover Goodreads, through which I have declared that I will read 75 new books this year. My daily commute is almost 2 hours each day so hopefully this won’t be impossible to achieve – if I can stop wasting time on social media!
A related change – I will watch less TV. I love TV, so this will be difficult. I love to stretch out on the couch and zone out, or put something on in the background while I’m Facebooking and Twittering (oh yes, that pesky social media again). I don’t think TV is all bad and I don’t plan to eliminate it entirely, but I will be more mindful of what I watch – if there’s a show on I’m interested in (even if it’s mind-meltingly awful) I’ll watch it. But then I’ll turn off the TV and do something more productive, rather than leave it on just because I can.
I will be more mindful of what I’m eating. In the last 18 months I have made some great changes to my nutrition and exercise, and havenoticed results both in the mirror and in how I feel. I want to take that further by reducing my processed food intake even more (I don’t have that much now, but when I do it’s for convenience – not a great reason). For example tonight I made my own honey soy marinade. SO easy! And pretty tasty too. Plus, I know exactly what I put in my mouth. A few months ago I made chilli using all the herbs and spices, rather than an indiscriminate spice mix that is probably also topped up with salt, thickener and who-knows-what else. Yes it takes longer, but if I’m feeling time-poor (read: lazy) I’ll pick a simpler option and save the creative dishes for the weekend. This extends to better snacks too – more fruit and veggie sticks and nuts. I actually enjoy fruit and vegetables in their natural state so there’s no excuse for me to opt for chips and other junk (except I love their salty salty goodness…)
I also want to exercise more – 3 times a week. Not outrageous, which makes it achievable. Last year I was doing strength work once a week and sometimes a cardio session, but not often enough. With that small amount of effort I noticed positive changes, so if I can commit to 3 workouts every week as a minimum I will feel strong and healthy. I’ve never been sporty or into fitness but it feels amazing when I realize that I have some muscles in there, and I can climb the stairs without getting (too) out of breath. I enjoy that feeling and want more of it. And three times a week is doable, for sure.
Finally, I need (and want) to spend more time on this blog and other projects. I will make more time for writing, even if it’s just private journaling, and another blog project I have been talking about with a friend of mine. Less TV will help with this one too.
I have a feeling that 2013 is going to be an amazing year and I can’t wait to see the flow-on effects from the few small changes I’ve listed above!
