twenty-eleven

Another 31 has become 1. Another December has slid into January. And for most that means another inspirational burst of resolve to loose weight will come and go just as quickly as January glides onto February. What is the origin of making New Years resolutions anyway? I googled it and returned disappointed.

While I may never discover the history behind the action, I still can appreciate its intent. The thought that you are not alone in your new determination, and not only that, but society as a whole has already been made aware that you are supposed to have a resolution makes you way more accountable than if you just decided to set your mind to something on say July 12th. And yet, still, according to wikipedia, only 12% of people actually carry out their goal. Why do we keep trying??

Because its our nature. Natural selection created who we are today, so it makes perfect sense that even on a microcosmic level, we want to better ourselves. Unfortunately, in our rapid paced world, its easy to get lost in the mix. New Years is a gift. An opportunity to reflect and evaluate in a society that rarely allows us a moment to ourselves. And in the spirit of self improvement, I have also tried to come up with some New Years Resolutions to keep me occupied for the dreary month of January (and hopefully longer =P).

1. Be more social. Let me be more specific. Perhaps what I should say is "Cultivate more meaningful relationships". Of course, to find those, one must first be social. How will I do this? Well I've been playing with some ideas. First is to join a group, be it musical performance, knitting club, book club, biking club or maybe even (as suggested by my parents) the bmw club. Many of my friends have left the city or weren't here to begin with, so its time I got back out there. I'm not living in the most youthful and social city for nothing.

2. Return to the arts. I used to be practically married to it, and now I haven't touched my flute in years. The gift of a new guitar has inspired me. To take lessons. To draw more. To see a rock band or a jazz performance. To attend free concerts at the Kennedy Center. To seek out and support local arts.

3. Read everything. I sort of already made an unspoken goal for myself to alternate between one fiction and nonfiction work. I've now made my way through 2 whole nonfiction books! And while they are not always the page turner of a hunger games novel, at least I'm learning something. Other topics I'd like to explore: auto repair, Mayan culture, revolutionary war, the war in Afganistan, cooking chemistry, marketing and advertizing... Hopefully I will even generate a decent book list that can be passed between the SWEEV team.

Time to get crackin' at these lofty resolutions... its already January 4th!