A Trite Start to the New Year

I hate new year's resolutions. I pretty much always break them, as does everyone, but I still like to torture myself by setting unreasonable standards and flogging myself when i don't live up to them. Every year I resolve to quit smoking and lose weight. As does 99% of the rest of the population. Normally I fail at both, but last year I managed - in a bizarre St. Patrick's Day resolution - to quit smoking. After reading Naomi Wolf's revelation The Beauty Myth I decided that my desire to lose weight was driven by an attempt to keep women oppressed in the face of 'equal' rights, so that had to be scrapped. "Be a better person" came to mind, but that is just too subjective and totally unmeasurable. I know you don't really need to have a resolution, but it seems a waste to start a new year without clearing the slate and beginning again. So I have decided on a new variation on an old theme.

I will work towards becoming an all around healthier person.

My resolution will include the following targets: 1. Physical Health - exercising for an hour at least 2x per week, eating 5 fruit and veg every day, eating breakfast, and cutting down on coffee 2. Mental Health - get a hobby and do something hobby related at least 1x per week, learn to meditate and then meditate for at least 20 minutes every other day, the exercising also falls into this category but it has been covered
3. Emotional Health - develop a mantra, recite my mantra at least once a day while looking in the mirror (don't laugh, this is very powerful!), write in my blog/journal at least once per week, count to ten and imagine what it must be like to be the other person every time i get angry.

In order to make these all seem more realistic and not too overwhelming, I will focus on one from each category at a time and just try to integrate it into my day. Once I feel like it is part of my normal routine, I move on to the next one. I am sure many of you already do these things as normal already. Sadly, I do not - hence the need for ranting and raving at a computer.