You would think at my now advancing age, that I would have given up with New Year Resolutions, particularly as they are pretty much the same every year… but I haven’t. I still want to be a better person and somehow writing down those small things that may make a difference makes me focus the mind on a few improvements that would make my life easier or the lives of those around me happier gives me a sense of purpose for the coming months.
Here is how I got on in 2013…
1. Lose weight
I fear this went out of the window on New Year’s Day, when my almighty hangover got the better of me and I was forced to eat chocolate in large quantities to make myself feel better…. To be fair, this year I did lose weight… I lost the extra 16lbs that I put on in the first half of the year and so am counting it as a small victory that I didn’t get any bigger overall. Juicing was my friend (Diary of Juicer) but when the weather became colder I couldn’t face a glass of iced green gunge for dinner and so slowly crept back into large quantities of carbohydrates ad processed food. Next year I will do better….
2. Invite people for dinner
I never quite seemed to get round to this. I did draw up an enormous list of people that I owe dinner to, looked at the diary and realised that I would probably be cooking every Saturday night for the year, checked my finances and decided that there was plenty of time to think about this. As this has been the case for about three years now I shouldn’t be surprised that I get very few dinner invitations now myself. This is good, as it means that I no longer owe anyone and it helps with resolution number one! However, I also have a new cooker so cannot blame my lack of culinary enthusiasm on equipment any more. Next year I will do better…
3. Deal with the post as it arrives
I do hate the piles of paper that I seem to have everywhere. A pile forms on the dining room table, ready to be dealt with and then, when I need to use the table, is moved to the bigger pile in the office. When this looks fit to topple I transfer it to the filing trays, that nothing is actually filed in, just stacked, and when they look too precarious I shove the trays in a cupboard. The simple answer would be to open the letter, deal with the contents and then file the letter, if required, in the right place in my empty filing cabinet, just like everyone else… yeah right! Next year I will do better….
4. Keep the house tidy
My friends complain endlessly about the mess their children make, and the husbands that never pick up after themselves. I do not have this excuse. I find myself looking about my house, wondering why it looks as though a hand grenade has gone off, and then get very frustrated that I have no-one to blame but myself. My dump and run lifestyle needs to change, another five seconds spent put dishes into the dishwasher or folding a towel or putting clothes away would save so much time in the future when someone is coming to stay and I want them to think I am tidy and organised. This is, of course, trying to change the habit of a lifetime, but next year I will do better….
5. Do the ironing as it comes off the dryer
I’m only human… but have solved this one… I just don’t iron anything any more. A good wearing sorts the creases out. This new approach doesn’t mean that I don’t have an ironing pile though… see resolution number 4. Next year I will do better on the piles and housework… but I not going to start ironing again. One less resolution for next year.
6. Stop sucking my thumb
I confess that I still do… I’ve been doing it for 48 years! My teeth are squiffy, my jaw doesn’t align and one thumb is smaller then the other. My parents used to cover my thumb in foul tasting concoctions, bandage the digit and shout, “THUMB” relentlessly all to no avail. I do take it out of my mouth when I remember to, in times of stress, however, I don’t even know I am doing it. I think it’s time to scrub this from the list but next year I will cut down a bit…
7. Sort out my money, save for my tax bill and start a pension plan
This one needs to be filed under too difficult. In order for this to happen I need to earn more money, and for that to happen I need to rethink my lovely life. Next year I will do better… with what I have…
8. Get a boyfriend
I used to call this one ‘sleep with someone of the same species’, as most nights I share my bed with the dogs, but it also might give the wrong impression about me, so I have changed it. It’s late in the year… but this one is looking promising….
