iPromise

Anybody who checks up on this site periodically already knows, I'm dreadful at keeping this updated and consistent.  In all honesty, I'm typically daunted at putting together something at least half way interesting or informative, and not committing the crime of tossing just any old junk on here for you to waste time on.

I do feel that blogging and social media waves over the last 10 years or so are absolutely watering down legitimate content.  It wasn't always the case that a random mommy-of-2 has access to the same soapbox and platform that the leader of the free world uses.  English is not even my first language and could not, with a straight face, break down most commonplace grammatical law on prepositions.

But here’s a thought… It’s another start of a brand new year.

As mundane as it may seem, let’s talk new year’s resolutions.

My friend JooJuan views all these annual personal promises and commitments as a huge load of crap.  A vow to a better and healthier you and a pledge to make the world a happier place to live topped with an optimistic goal to reach this in 365 days is almost always meant to be broken even before January ends.  My amusing repartees with my friend usually require a contradicting opinion, but I somehow concur with this notion.

I was decluttering my closet this morning and came upon a journal entry I wrote in 1997 (one of my blog followers’ birth year, I must horrifyingly note) that lists my new year’s resolutions that year.

1.   Lose weight.

2.   Have inner poise, will power and general togetherness.

3.   Quit social smoking.

4.   Stand straight and be proud of my height.

5.   Learn Spanish.

That was the year I went on my first month long trip across Western Europe that allowed me to effortlessly lose weight, acquire a sense of general togetherness, vaunt my unusual Asian height and learn a bit of conversational Spanish.  But when exposed to the coolness of the French, I chain smoked so much that month alone, enough to pollute an entire small planet.

Achievement of self-improvement that year was a fluke. Nicotine has always given me massive headaches so that was almost easy to give up.  Numbers 1, 2 and 5 have been on my list for more than 30 years and have pretty much become part of my bucket list.  I have failed so much at these resolutions that I now have surrendered and given myself my entire lifetime to achieve them.

It is natural for anybody armed with hopes and dreams to come up with his own personal commitments for the New Year.  It's convenient, after all.  It's one day where you can Control-Alt-Delete your behaviour just because it is the first day with a date bearing a totally different ending number.  

My suggestion to do instead is have small realizable goals.  Let go of ambitious over-the-top promises.  I'm assuming we'll be a happier lot come December.

Indulge me as I list mine:

1.   Lose as much belly fat I possibly can with the power of crossfit.

2.   Do 3 consecutive pull-ups.

3.   Watch Against Me! live.  I don’t care if the gig is 5 hours by camel from where I live.  I’m going.

4.   Learn 5 songs on the uke without looking at the chords.

5.   Move. On. Forward. Onward.... Okay. This is a tad dramatic. I’ll just say post at least one entry on this blog each month.

Cheers to you little poodles for a laughter filled and interesting 2014! One love!