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resolutions

Last year I don’t think I made any formal resolutions at all.

The year before we did it as a family.
When I was in high school I wrote pages and pages of them every year.
And this year I’m still a little unsure..
I mean, they are pretty much just a repeat of the last ten years.
Lose weight, pray more, spend less money, budget my time better, don’t leave wet clothes in the washing machine for a week, listen more, parent better, actually plug in the vacuum.
You get the idea.
And they are always the same.
Which makes me beg the question, what is the point?
If I am resolving the same things every year. If I didn’t get it right in 2005, what makes me think that this will be my year.

And don’t worry, I’ve never had to add don’t be so cynical to my list.
But this year I am going to be a little more realistic.
I have no expectations that in 2011 I am finally going to get it together.
That I’m going to have clean baseboards and graded papers and fit back into my skinny jeans.
But, I might. at least for a little while.
and
Better is still worth pursuing.
I’ll take fresh starts and clean slates anyway you want to present them.
On the 1st day of the year.
Or the 8th after I’ve already screwed up.
Or some random Tuesday in July.

It is one of my favorite things about my job.
Every new school year is a clean start.
And I have never done it exactly the same way twice. Every year I tweak and try new policies and labs and even rearrange my desks. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. But every year I try to do it better. And I should probably retire when I just do everything the same.

And I’m still not going to give anyone a formal list of new year’s resolutions (although I have a few in my head). But I am going to pursue better. And this is the easiest time of year to do it because everyone else is. Even if it is just for the next month or few days. And next January I can try again.
Or next week.
Or some random Tuesday in July.

Comments

Shutterbug said…
hi there! I stumbled across your blog this morning and your resolutions entry struck me. I never make resolutions for the new year, for many of the reasons you mulled over, but I have found that goal setting is something that I need in my life to help me focus. It's also a way of framing "resolutions" to help you really take action on them. Some of the 'frustration'(may be too strong a word?) I picked up on in your entry seems linked to not succeeding in following through on the resolutions from past years. There is a book by Jack Canfield called the Success Principles, I'm not normally big on that type of reading, but this one really helped me learn how to set better and attainable goals for myself, and learn how to make them successful. Don't normally insert my 2 cents worth on strangers' blogs unsolicited, but I just had this feeling maybe this would be helpful to you. Take it for what it's worth, and good luck either way! :o)
January 10, 2011 at 8:22 AM
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