1/2/11
Road-Trip Convoys, Happiness and Sticking to My Budget
Hi there,
So… I wasn't really going to make and hard and fast resolutions… but as this year is 'The Year of Passion', ambitions and endeavour, I thought I'd better make some plans. In order to avoid making unattainable goals, or goals that are too vague or just selfish goals, I consulted a website that I occasionally visit: www.relevantmagazine.com. Here is the full article. There are some pretty good suggestions on this list, I think:
1. Turn health goals into opportunities to help.
2. Turn a complicated resolution into a single word or phrase.
3. Turn a personal resolution into a community resolution.
4. Turn a trip into a quest.
5. Turn a private project into a public project.
6. Turn your resolution into a question.
7. Turn your year into an experiment.
So, here's my list:
1. Raise money for and run a charity race! There are many, many races each year that aim to raise money for such worthy causes as cancer research, fundraising for hospitals, and organizations such as The Salvation Army. I'm not sure which races I will participate in this year, but I will definitely aim for a 10 km race.
2. Well, I guess my word is 'passion', as per the last post. I am going to try and approach everything I do with passion and enthusiasm… work, relationships with my friends and family, my hobbies.
3. For this one, I am going to consult a group of my friends. I'm sure we can come up with some kind of goal to pursue together that will enrich our relationships and maybe help someone else, too.
4. Road-trip Convoy. I love convoys. My favourite experience in a convoy was when a group of my friends piled into two mini-vans for a little drive up to Wasaga Beach. We talked back and forth on walkie-talkies the whole time, playing 'The Alphabet Game' and making up our own radio lingo. I'm not sure this exactly fits the description of 'quest', but my resolution is to take a long weekend and turn it into a road-trip convoy extravaganza.
5. I guess this blog is kinda my 'public' resolution. Each month, I'll let you know how each of my resolutions is going and you can help me keep on track!
6. I am going to steal a question off of the provided examples: What makes me happy? Although this question does seem incredibly selfish, I do think that it's a pretty valid query. I want to find out where I truly find joy in my life… and I want to discover the fleeting pleasures in my life, that make me feel warm and fuzzy in the moment but leave me feeling empty as they fade away. So many times I read about 'finding joy in the Lord' and I want to have that! Also, I've just read 'Eat, Pray, Love', which is about the author's quest to discover pleasure and devotion and a balance between the two. Although I'm not a huge fan of the book and the 'pick-n-mix' style of spirituality it promotes, I like the idea behind it. (Also, for the record, I don't think a life of devotion and a life of pleasure need to be two separate parts of one's life that need to be balanced… can't you have a pleasurable, devoted life?)
7. OMG I love A.J. Jacobs. Jacobs is the author of 'The Year of Living Biblically', which I strongly recommend to anyone— Jesus-freak or not. I like the idea of giving 10%, but I think I'll expand that to sticking to my budget. I have a budget written out that incorporates loan payments, tithing, saving for travel, my phone bill, my RRSP, etc. Let this be 'The Year of Sticking to My Budget'.
Okay, so now that it's down here in pixels and html code, I'm obliged to stick to my guns.
What are your New Year's Resolutions?
So… I wasn't really going to make and hard and fast resolutions… but as this year is 'The Year of Passion', ambitions and endeavour, I thought I'd better make some plans. In order to avoid making unattainable goals, or goals that are too vague or just selfish goals, I consulted a website that I occasionally visit: www.relevantmagazine.com. Here is the full article. There are some pretty good suggestions on this list, I think:
1. Turn health goals into opportunities to help.
2. Turn a complicated resolution into a single word or phrase.
3. Turn a personal resolution into a community resolution.
4. Turn a trip into a quest.
5. Turn a private project into a public project.
6. Turn your resolution into a question.
7. Turn your year into an experiment.
So, here's my list:
1. Raise money for and run a charity race! There are many, many races each year that aim to raise money for such worthy causes as cancer research, fundraising for hospitals, and organizations such as The Salvation Army. I'm not sure which races I will participate in this year, but I will definitely aim for a 10 km race.
2. Well, I guess my word is 'passion', as per the last post. I am going to try and approach everything I do with passion and enthusiasm… work, relationships with my friends and family, my hobbies.
3. For this one, I am going to consult a group of my friends. I'm sure we can come up with some kind of goal to pursue together that will enrich our relationships and maybe help someone else, too.
4. Road-trip Convoy. I love convoys. My favourite experience in a convoy was when a group of my friends piled into two mini-vans for a little drive up to Wasaga Beach. We talked back and forth on walkie-talkies the whole time, playing 'The Alphabet Game' and making up our own radio lingo. I'm not sure this exactly fits the description of 'quest', but my resolution is to take a long weekend and turn it into a road-trip convoy extravaganza.
5. I guess this blog is kinda my 'public' resolution. Each month, I'll let you know how each of my resolutions is going and you can help me keep on track!
6. I am going to steal a question off of the provided examples: What makes me happy? Although this question does seem incredibly selfish, I do think that it's a pretty valid query. I want to find out where I truly find joy in my life… and I want to discover the fleeting pleasures in my life, that make me feel warm and fuzzy in the moment but leave me feeling empty as they fade away. So many times I read about 'finding joy in the Lord' and I want to have that! Also, I've just read 'Eat, Pray, Love', which is about the author's quest to discover pleasure and devotion and a balance between the two. Although I'm not a huge fan of the book and the 'pick-n-mix' style of spirituality it promotes, I like the idea behind it. (Also, for the record, I don't think a life of devotion and a life of pleasure need to be two separate parts of one's life that need to be balanced… can't you have a pleasurable, devoted life?)
7. OMG I love A.J. Jacobs. Jacobs is the author of 'The Year of Living Biblically', which I strongly recommend to anyone— Jesus-freak or not. I like the idea of giving 10%, but I think I'll expand that to sticking to my budget. I have a budget written out that incorporates loan payments, tithing, saving for travel, my phone bill, my RRSP, etc. Let this be 'The Year of Sticking to My Budget'.
Okay, so now that it's down here in pixels and html code, I'm obliged to stick to my guns.
What are your New Year's Resolutions?
1/1/11
Running in the New Year
January 1, 2011.
It's just like any other day, really, but January 1st of any year seems to carry a lot of significance in it's promise of new beginnings, the possibility for change and maybe even a little motivation to accomplish our ambitions.
I had dinner last night with a few of my oldest and closest friends at the restaurant where another of our oldest and closest friends works as a server. We looked across the table at one another with contented smiles as we recounted 2010, remembering all that we have experienced, accomplished and learned. We also took time to reflect on some of our regrets and some of our more negative adventures, sharing our plans about what we are hoping to improve in ourselves over the course of 2011. We tasted one another's scrumptious suppers and passed around our fruity cocktails, sharing stories and enjoying the company of those we trust and love. It was a beautiful conclusion to what my friends had apparently dubbed 'The Year of Magic' (I wasn't present when this was decided, but I think 2010 turned out to be pretty magical for me, as evidenced in my last post). As we shared our plans and ideas for the coming year, it became apparent that 2011 will continue to include many transitions for each of us. Whether we are finishing school, starting school, looking for a new job, making decisions about where to live and work, or just continuing to work and strive for our dreams, this year will be a year of new endeavours, labour and action. It will be a year to accomplish our ambitions. It will be a year of passion.
The word passion, to me, at least, immediately connotes the idea of working hard for things we love. So what are the things that I love? Hmmm… my family, my friends, God… myself. Happiness, fun, making things, beauty, wisdom. Travel, new experiences, writing. Music. So, I guess 2011 will be the year of working hard for all of these things. I'll let you know how it goes.
Despite my immense pleasure at spending a delightful evening with people I love, I had to cut my night short. I climbed on an almost empty Go Bus around 11:00 pm, leaving my friends to continue their celebrations with dessert and maybe even some dancing. I had to get home at a reasonable hour in order to be rested for this morning— when I ran 'The Resolution Run' with my running group. I thought it was a pretty good way to start the year off on the right foot… or was it the left? (That one was for you, Tom.)
Look how hardcore I am!
It's just like any other day, really, but January 1st of any year seems to carry a lot of significance in it's promise of new beginnings, the possibility for change and maybe even a little motivation to accomplish our ambitions.
I had dinner last night with a few of my oldest and closest friends at the restaurant where another of our oldest and closest friends works as a server. We looked across the table at one another with contented smiles as we recounted 2010, remembering all that we have experienced, accomplished and learned. We also took time to reflect on some of our regrets and some of our more negative adventures, sharing our plans about what we are hoping to improve in ourselves over the course of 2011. We tasted one another's scrumptious suppers and passed around our fruity cocktails, sharing stories and enjoying the company of those we trust and love. It was a beautiful conclusion to what my friends had apparently dubbed 'The Year of Magic' (I wasn't present when this was decided, but I think 2010 turned out to be pretty magical for me, as evidenced in my last post). As we shared our plans and ideas for the coming year, it became apparent that 2011 will continue to include many transitions for each of us. Whether we are finishing school, starting school, looking for a new job, making decisions about where to live and work, or just continuing to work and strive for our dreams, this year will be a year of new endeavours, labour and action. It will be a year to accomplish our ambitions. It will be a year of passion.
The word passion, to me, at least, immediately connotes the idea of working hard for things we love. So what are the things that I love? Hmmm… my family, my friends, God… myself. Happiness, fun, making things, beauty, wisdom. Travel, new experiences, writing. Music. So, I guess 2011 will be the year of working hard for all of these things. I'll let you know how it goes.
Despite my immense pleasure at spending a delightful evening with people I love, I had to cut my night short. I climbed on an almost empty Go Bus around 11:00 pm, leaving my friends to continue their celebrations with dessert and maybe even some dancing. I had to get home at a reasonable hour in order to be rested for this morning— when I ran 'The Resolution Run' with my running group. I thought it was a pretty good way to start the year off on the right foot… or was it the left? (That one was for you, Tom.)
Look how hardcore I am!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)