New Years Resolutions 2013

Happy New Year, everyone! I've been off camping for the last week or so and have come home tired and dirty but quite content with my trip. I also had time to write out my new year's resolutions during an outdoor chalkboard concert on New Year's Day, which is more formal than I usually go for.

Quite some time ago I actually gave up on concrete new year's resolutions and started "committing" to much airier, vaguer ones like "be kinder to myself and to my body", probably because I repeatedly failed at the usual "lose weight" ones. What the hell does "be kinder to myself and to my body" even mean?? I mean, sure, it makes things more achievable in a way, but I find it more effective to be able to see what I'm aiming for.

 

Following the relative success of my 1001 Things list (okay, I'm nowhere near done but I feel like I'm on a roll); and, having realised that there are many, many, many more things that I wish I had put on the list but didn't, I have concluded that I actually do need to make some resolutions. This list kicks in on the 7th of January, simply because I have been away camping in the wilderness and haven't had a chance to settle into a routine.

 

So here they are, in no particular order:

 

1. Don't buy anything new for a year. Op shops are okay, second hand from eBay is fine, and swapping or borrowing is even better. But given that I recently cleaned out my wardrobe and discarded some 35-odd items with ne'er a thought; and that, during that clean-out, I discovered I own approximately 66 pairs of underwear (hey, that's what happens when you live in three states at once! Aaand you really needed to know about my underwear drawer, didn't you...), it kind of stands to reason that I don't actually need any more new clothes for at least a year. Unless I lose (or gain, but let's not consider that as an option here) a significant amount of weight, in which case I think it's okay to at least buy a new bra. Because second-hand underwear? Gross. There are a couple of new things I will allow myself to buy during the year, but they will be pre-determined and I will write them down before the 7th.

 

2. Following on from #1, I will consider the environmental impact of any purchases I do make. I know, I know, being a professional tree-hugger this should be second-nature to me but it rarely gets a gurnsey when I want something. This concept also applies to gifts I ask for in 2013. You could well argue that this one is irrelevant when I'm not going to be buying anything new anyway, but it's still something I want to think about.

 

3. Stop accepting plastic bags when shopping. When I was living in Adelaide, I was a total Green-Bag hero and never went shopping without them. I would even avoid putting vegetables in those freezer-style bags, and opt instead to have them loose in a green bag. And then I moved to NSW where plastic supermarket bags are not outlawed like they are in SA, and suddenly my resolve crumbled. Especially when I couldn't drive for six months and didn't have a car to store my crap, green bags included, in. So, no plastic bags in 2013. The exception is for things like meat, or green beans and snow peas - things that would be kind of disasterous not to bag up and which would really piss the checkout chick off to have to handle loose. And for every plastic bag I accept, I will donate $2 to an environmental charity (TBA).

 

4. Go out to at least one proper afternoon tea, multi-tiered cake stands and all. Prefably two.

 

5. Visit somewhere I have never been. Preferably somewhere in Australia AND somewhere overseas, but that will depend on how long I can get off work, and considering I just came home from a nine-week jaunt I imagine they will be none too keen to give me more than a week or so off in a stretch!

6. Engage in physical activity at least three days per week, including a mixture of cardio, strength and stretching.

7. Be able to run 5km.

8. Swear less. Every time I use the F-word I will donate $2 to charity. If I (heaven forbid) drop the C-bomb, that's $10 to charity, and for the S-word, a paltry 50c (because it doesn't bother me as much as the others, obviously).

9. Learn a new skill.

10. If I insist on eating chocolate or sweet things, I will eat it mindfully and savour it instead of gobbling it down.

So there they are. They're a bit of an odd jumble but they cover most facets of my life. Ten is quite a few to achieve, particularly considering that I have another list on the boiler, but they're some things I'd really like to try this year.

So tell me, what are your New Year's resolutions?