2011 Resolutions Revisited

Since I just did a post on the first month of blogging, I thought I should review my first month of New Year's resolutions as well - a bit of an accountability stick, I suppose.

Let me see, what were my resolutions from a month back (the beauty of blogging, I don't have to wrack my brain, just go back and check). 

The first was to floss with greater regularity.  Well I'm here to tell you that I have kept that one, right to the letter of the law.  I actually had to get the better half (okay I need some more synonyms to refer to my wife as - I'll welcome all suggestions {except ball and chain -- that one from her majesty, herself}) to buy me another bag of those nifty little flossing thingees.  Is there actually a proper term for those?  I hated wrapping two yards of floss around my fingers and sticking both hands down my gullet to retrieve the remains of supper's pork chops (corn on the cob and pork chops are the worst, right?).

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The downside to my flossing resolution and I can't honestly blame the flossing, is that even with my dental regime bumped up to high alert status, I have broken yet another tooth.  This time it was on a frozen chocolate chip cookie, and I have yet to be able to schedule an appointment that does not conflict with my teaching days.  Note to self: defrost chocolate chip cookies prior to eating.

Resolutions number two was to blog.  I've done pretty well at that.  Nairy a miss, as Mom would have said.  And, I've really enjoyed the process.  I like being the big cheese, the editor in chief of my own little domain.  I know I'm a bit long-winded.  I think that will solve itself as life gets busier outside.  I kind of sit back and think of the hours I have put into blogging, and wonder how else I would have filled my January.  Yes, I know, my workroom might have got tidied up a bit.  As you know if you've been following, the garbage can in the workroom is now emptied!  That's a start.

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Third resolution was to relax more.  I'm not sure about this one, but I think maybe I am doing okay in this department.  Mind you, January is not really that difficult a month to relax in.  Besides shovelling snow and going to work, there is not that much to occupy the body.  We have tried to walk most days.  There were only two days that we didn't complete the desired circuit -- just too cold to be enjoyable.  I know a good brisk walk certainly seems to relax and get the endorphins circulating a bit.  Exercise also helps with resolution number four, which was to be happier in  2011.

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So far,  I think I am doing pretty well on this one too.  Yes I've still got some stresses in my life that weigh me down a bit, but there will always be stresses.  I'd have to say that blogging brings me some degree of happiness.  First of all I am trying to keep my blog happy and uplifting for the most part.  In so doing I have several times gone to the photo albums for inspiration.  Have you ever noticed all our photo albums tend to be pretty much filled with happy occasions? 

Secondly I am slowly but surely reading my way through Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project.  This was the book that spurred me to get blogging.  There are things that don't cut it for me in her book, but there are also a lot of excellent ideas -- just a matter of putting them into practice.  I'm in the month of June now, and she suggests going out and making three new friends this year.  Friendship is one of those areas that I struggle with.  Too often, I think I don't have much to offer to another person.  Good old self esteem issues I guess.  So I've been brave, I've asked a couple of people to be friends on Facebook in the last couple days -- does that count?

As I look back on it, I think my resolutions are going pretty well for me.  Now they say you have to do something for 42 repetitions before it actually becomes a habit.  Who came up with the number 42?  Actually as I recall now, that may have been something the missus (not the ball and chain) may have said about eating habits.  Maybe I'll revisit these resolutions a bit later in the year and see how they still measure up.

And that is about all I have to say for today.

Musings and meanderings from the Musical Gardener.