New Years Resolutions- Keeping it Simple

It is that time of year when we get reflective and start to think about what we might do differently or what we might want to change about ourselves. In the past I’ve been too specific, and I believe specificity in this area leads to disappointment. To enact real change requires changing your approach to things. Rather than say “I’m going to lose 50lbs” and then being disappointed when I hit 45 I’m going to take the total quality approach and attempt change some habits, which in turn lead to realizing some of the goals I’ve had in my mind. I’m not going to worry about the specifics in other words.

Blah blah blah.

The other key this year, keeping it to three things. Just three. More than that and I’m not going to going to do them. So here we go, 2013 resolutions:

1. Simple Living. I have to get a less caught up in the day to day BS that makes me crazy. And a big part of that BS- acquiring shit. Jared Diamond in his book Guns, Germs and Steel, a study on the development of civilizations, quotes a friend of his, a New Guinea tribesman regarding “cargo”. Cargo being the term used in New Guinea for the stuff that people cary with them, stuff they have to get along in the world. Diamond asks him for his perspective on the difference between the tribal people in New Guinea, who live pretty damed simply, eking a living out of the forrest, and the westerners who come to the island. The mans response; “Why do you white people have so much cargo, and we New Guineans have so little?”
   Thats a great question.
   We have a lot of cargo around hour house, I think that should change. At least new cargo that just feeds consumerism. Instead of buying 40 books a year at $10.00 a pop for my Nook, I’m going to the library. I can get some titles for the Nook at the library, and what I can’t I can certainly go back to that method where the letters are actually impressed on wood-fiber planes bound together in a uh.. what’s thing. .book.
   This weekend I had a good example, I had to replace a fishtank, I had a 40 gallon tall tank that was starting to fail. Rather than run to the store and spend a couple hundred on a new tank and stand I hit Craigslist and some fish keeping forums. I was patient, shopped around and believe it or not secured a 55 gallon tank and stand, one that looked better than the one I had BTW, for the low low price of.. are you sitting down? $10.00. Basically free. Need to do more stuff like that.
   And not so much to avoid spending money, although that’s a nice benefit, rather it’s a chance to reuse, recycle and stop wasting. Yeah, this from the guy with 5 computers and 7 guitars. That’s why they call it change.
2. I have to eat better. I’ll be 50 this year and I’ve been threatening to do this for years, and I don’t. We’re a smaller family now and I’m not trying to feed the pack of teen age boys I once did. This means I need to change where I shop as well. I’ve been taking the easy way out, shopping at big box grocers, buying shitloads of processed foods, quick meals etc. I eat like crap and it shows. My plan is to spend more money at the Co-Op and better grocers where I can get decent produce for change. I’m going to do my best to avoid pre-packaged stuff, lean more toward local, un-processed and when it makes sense organic foods. Means I’ll have to spend more time in the kitchen because it takes more effort to make that stuff, but I think there are dividends to be derived if I do so.
3. Enjoy more, follow my good friend Wendy’s advice, eat a little, drink a little, play a little.,. I’ve been a pain in the ass for the last couple years, hating everything, avoiding fun, skipping vacations, avoiding family events. Enough. Family is sick of me, I’m sick of me. Need an attitude adjustment. Probably a few big changes in order that would make this happen, something I can work on in the next few months.

Now, here’s a few things I’m not doing in 2013, just for the record.

Exercise. I hate exercise. So do most people. Evidence- the gyms are packed in January. And, they’re empty in February. Exactly what I would do. So this year I’m not going even consider it. I’ll work towards my 10,000 steps a day, and if I make it great, if I don’t, try again tomorrow..

Clean up the Language Every year Mrs S puts “clean up language” on her list of things for the New Year. And most years she says that living with me has had a very negative affect on her speech. It probably has. But if I didn’t pepper my speech with the F word and Shit and all the other great cuss words out there I’d have nothing to say. Wouldn’t be able to make a point in the eloquent way I do. So on the language deal, fuck it.

• BTW, interesting side note- this topic came up over Christmas, Mrs let me know that apparently I got a letter sometime in the last few months from someone complaining about my language here on the blog. She tossed it and forgot to tell me about it. Apparently it was “lame”. To bad as I like to frame shit like that put it up in my office. According to her it was an anonymous unsigned note which makes it worthy of being ignored. My lodge has anonymous note writer, likes to send nasty notes to members and officers with complaints, personal attacks etc. She thinks it’s from the same guy. Those notes all get tossed in the trash as well. Sorry, sending bullshit anonymous messages is about as passive aggressive and chicken shit as it gets. All I’m going to say about it.

SO there you go. 2013 goals. Easy, and powerful and achievable. I’m curious, how are you folks changing in 2013?