The holidays are like a reset button. You get your fill of bad habits, unhealthy foods and lazy routines so that when the new year starts, you can wipe the slate clean with no regrets and focus on things that will make you feel good about yourself - or at least satisfied that you've put those bad things behind you.I'm no stranger to this routine. As the year draws to a close, I'm more prone to say things like "I want to learn to sew!" I have always talked about taking singing lessons and all the places I want to travel. Recently, I've entertained the idea of painting a triptych because I now have exactly the right spot to hang them. I want to get my hands dirty in the garden that I've half-planned in my head and spend more time outside on the patio that doesn't yet exist. At the very limit of my imagination is the idea that I could run a half marathon.
What would we do without New Year's plans or resolutions? I don't know if I'd be happy knowing that I'd accomplished everything I'd ever planned. Isn't part of life the act of striving for those things we want - or think we want? I'm not just talking about material things; learning a new skill must be very high on the list of common New Year's resolutions. I love to learn, so the idea of taking a course in the new year or trying out a different activity is always exciting, and while ideas crop up throughout the year, it's the ones that spawn around New Year's Eve that seem to bear a special weight.
So, in 2015, I might take singing lessons, or learn to sew. I'll probably hang that triptych (even if I don't paint it myself), and I'll almost certainly start a garden in spring. I'd love to plan an outdoor space where we can entertain guests, and I've already started thinking about our next travel destination - Hawaii, I hope. I would like to think that I'll accomplish that half marathon, but if I don't, there's always next year to strive for, right?
