While the rest of the world makes resolutions on 31st December (or 1st January, depending on whether you get a day off or not from your job), I’ve always made mine around the first week of February. By that time two things have happened: first, most others have quit those resolutions and picked up that glass or that paper roll, so you’re naturally winning the resolution game by elimination, and second, I’m quite high on cakes.
Most of this decade so far has been about doing a half a dozen things at once, and while that’s a great buzz to enjoy for a while, I don’t think it’s sustainable for all but those whose veins run Red Bull instead of blood. I know a couple of people like that, and they’re awesome, but it ain’t me. So, here’s what I’m doing this year, instead of doing everything at once:
- This year I’ll only read fiction. I’ve been juggling fiction and non-fiction for the past three years, and while I feel enriched by many new perspectives and insights, I’ve reached that point where it feels like I’m just reading the same thing in a different book to reinforce what I already know. So, non-fiction is on hold this year. Just fiction. This also ties into the next one:
- I’ll purchase no new books this year. Any gifts are welcome, but I will walk out of every book store empty handed otherwise. (With one exception: if I find that elusive Stephen King Dark Tower collection, for a fair price, it’s mine.) This probably will surprise those who know me well, but it is now necessary. I’ve accumulated far too many books that have stayed locked up in a small cupboard or a giant box somewhere, some for over five years, and the temptation to buy new books never truly does them justice. So, no new books. And because I’m reading only fiction, I’ll stroll through many books this year. (For reference, I spent two months with the last non-fiction book I read, because there was just so much to digest on every page.) The goal is to lighten the burden on that little cupboard shelf. Harry Potter’s been sitting on the shelf for almost a decade. This won’t do.
- I will dedicate at least twenty minutes each day to keeping up with my folks on social media. This is antithetical to everyone else’s resolutions; most people want to spend less time on social media, but trust me, the people in my life need to hear from me more than once a month, and most of them live too far to knock on the door.
- To offset the above social media time, I will watch less Youtube for education. Adding onto the non-fiction resolution, most of what I’m watching on Youtube these days is just an echo chamber and ain’t getting me anywhere better.
- I will write at least two blog posts every month.
So that’s it. Five things. Any more and I’ll add clutter.
Let’s see how it goes. How’re you all doing about yours?
