Thursday, January 6, 2011

On resolutions

It's been a busy start of 2011 for me, but this time not the "UÆÆÆÆÆ - I've got so much to do I don't know where to start!" kind of busy the end of 2010 was, but more of a mellow version: "I've got a million things to fix but since I've been so busy lately I think I'll rather read a book".

Thus, my messy messy room back in my parents' house where I am staying for the time being (messy because it's been stuffed with the residue from my moving out of my Oslo-apartment) has continued to be messy. My empty empty suitcase has continued to be empty, even though my mother has nudged me (rather often) that I should start packing. The big things I've got under control - flights are booked, visa is in my passport, and there is a room awaiting me when I arrive in Tokyo. But all those small things - pre-travel purchases, packing, laundry (though, embarrassingly enough, my mother has taken charge of that department, so I can only happily [and guiltily] figure out which of my laundered clothes to fit into my suitcase when the time arrives.

If I've been so unburdened with work, however, then how do I justify not getting back to my blogging before now? Well, I have considered it. And then it fell into the "I'll get there, eventually" pile along with the tidying and the packing. Surely I could justify that I had other things to do right now. I have had other things to do, after all, and some of them I even did. Such as read through and give feedback on two friends' manuscripts. Such as dragging my butt to the dentist. Such as hosting a farewell-party of sorts with some of my friends, and planning a new one with some more of them. But the bottom line is that I haven't avoided blogging because I didn't have the time, it was because I didn't feel like it. The procrastination ghost has once again taken control over me (and I feel obliged to pay it respect for as long as I can - in less than two weeks I will be in the middle of adapting to a busy job in a busy city, after all).

I'm rambling. This post was supposed to be all about resolutions, and how I don't make any, since I tend to not keep them. I also dislike the idea that we only get once chance to make improvements in our lives each year. I imagine we'd soon discover that we wouldn't get much done. If you have only one deadline each year, it's a lot worse if you miss it.

However, despite my intentions, I find myself examining the records at the end of a year. 2010 has been an odd mix of accomplishments and failures on my part, and I would be very grateful if 2011 mostly consisted of the former. For that to happen, however, I need a plan. Thus resolutions are hard to avoid.

I have decided, since my goal is to have accomplishments rather than failures, to make them fairly easy to fulfill. Thus, here are my 2011 resolutions:

1) I will do [blank] that I have never done before.

2) I will strive to stop [blank], and begin [blank].

3) I will [blank] without [blank].

By filling in the blanks once I see what is actually possible to achieve, I can hardly fail. For instance, I have already fulfilled number one, since I have never blogged in January before...

Happy New Year!

15 comments:

Jan Morrison said...

Hi deario - I like these choose your own adventure resolutions. Great. OK I'm going to fill in mine.
1) I will study Rumi as I have never done that before.
2) I will strive to stop ignoring my finances and begin a careful consideration of how to deal with them.
3) I will write without reserve.
There ya go!

Angela said...

I like your approach.

Michelle Gregory said...

i hope you can blog after you move. it could be very interesting - a Norwegian living and working in Japan.

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Love your resolution list, I am not making any, I know what I what to achieve and hopefully I will achieve it.
Good luck in Japan.

Yvonne.

Southpaw said...

I do goals as opposed to resolutions too. Good luck in Japan.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Hopefully once you move to Japan, you will feel the draw of blogging again. We will be here to encourage so you don't feel so far away from home.
And I hate packing.

Hannah said...

Good luck in Japan! That's so exciting. I'm sure you'll be able to fill in the blanks in no time!

Golden Eagle said...

Good luck in Japan! :)

I like your resolution list.

Sue said...

Fabulous resolution list, my kind too. I'll adopt your list as I'm inspired during the year.

Cheers to your wonderful mum. No need for guilt, just enjoy basking in her love.

Have a safe, event-free journey. Hope you feel bursting with bloggish sharing when you've settled in.

M.J. Nicholls said...

I find dentists prefer teeth to butts. Ha. See what I did there? So funny.

Have a giraffy year in the land of the future. Try not to be seduced by an 100-year-old tycoon.

Jules said...

LOL, I wish you had had this idea in December and shared it then. Sure would have saved the rest of us :)

Good Luck in Japan :D
Jules @ Trying To Get Over The Rainbow

K A B L O O E Y said...

If you don't feel like writing, I hope you post pictures. Good luck with your big adventure. Resolutions are pretty clever.

LL Cool Joe said...

Packing is just the worst thing ever. I'm not sure why, but I put it off to the very last minute, and then wish I hadn't.

I like your new year resolutions and the fact that you've already done one of them! :D

Cruella Collett said...

Jan - great idea! Wish I'd thought to ask everyone to fill in their blanks :) (Your resolutions are gold, though!)

Angela - it certainly makes it easier to keep them!

Michelle - I probably will try. The time aspect might mean that it won't be as often, but we shall see :)

Yvonne - so mysterious! Good luck with whatever it is you want to achieve!

Holly - thank you! Good luck with your goals opposed to resolutions ;)

Alex - I hope (and think) so too. It's always great to have encouragement (especially when it comes to blogging and packing).

Hannah - thank you! I will do my best.

TGE - thanks :) The simpler, the better, right?

Sue - absolutely, adopt away! And you're right, my mom deserves an award!

Mark - *snicker* Well, you haven't been to the right kind of dentist, then... I shall do my best not to be seduced by any 100-year old tycoons, as he would be likely to survive me and thus there would be no point...

Jules - maybe I'll patent it and sell it expensively next year - "Guilt-free New Year's Resolutions", I can already see the cash flowing in...

Kablooey - well, my Japan-native camera is scheduled to return to it's birthplace, so there might be a chance of pictures, yes ;)

LL Cool Joe - packing is the worst! Except perhaps for unpacking. They both suck - the good thing about packing, though, is that you kind of have to do it. Unpacking I can drag out for weeks!

Pat Tillett said...

You already know about my love for Japan, I'm so glad (if you are) that you get to return there. Some of my wife's relatives are visiting us this year in the U.S., so next year it will be our turn to visit them. Can't wait...

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