People have mixed feelings about resolutions, and I'm not here to tell you one way or another what's right, but I personally really like them. Doesn't mean I succeed, or even really track things, but I think taking the time to be mindful about your intentions is an important act in itself. So I'll share some, not exactly resolutions, but things I've been thinking about in the interest of solidarity and also picking your genius brains for ideas and support on some stuff.
- Make things and give them away. Find ways to be creative without adding to my clutter. Stop feeling like everything has to be so precious that it can't be thrown away, and make better things through the process of scrapping something and starting over. I don't do many creative pursuits because I feel like I'm not perfect right away, and I don't want to "waste my time" making bad things. But I would tell others that's dumb, that no one is perfect right away, and that you're missing out on stuff that looks fun. So I'm telling myself that, too.
- Write more. I really like writing, but as of the past few years, it's been short bursts and status updates rather than long form thoughts on things. Maybe do more blog writing, for myself, and not just for validation of likes and faves (those are still good though).
- One of my favorite things I read in a cookbook I got last year (How to Cook Supper from The Splendid Table!) was to pick one cookbook a year to cook your way through. You don't have to cook everything, and you can still cook other things with that, but really going through and experiencing a cookbook can be a great way to improve techniques and palate, and get a lot more knowledgeable about different types of cuisine. This year, I'm going to work through Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi.
- Find ways to kill time that don't always involve spending money. This is the first year that I felt like I had some semblance of spare time. In the past 5 or so years, I've always worked jobs that encouraged and required many, many hours of night and weekend work (shout out to you, teachers!) and then had Lilith Fund, and this year I have a job that encourages self-care and time off and balance. And that's great! Except I don't really know what to do with it. So mostly I drank too much and shopped a lot and watched a lot of tv. And that's ok! I needed that year, I think. But now I need strategies to fill those hours without getting weird. I read a lot of books this year, and that was good, so I'm keeping that, but I need some others.
- On that same note, though, stop depriving myself of little pleasures or help just because I don't want to spend the money. For example, a month ago, I bought a stupid little cart from Ikea that was like $15 and I've wanted it for years because hauling groceries into an apartment has always been a hassle (team one trip here). But for whatever reason, I kept telling myself I didn't really need that, it was wasteful whatever, even though I'll drop stupid money on stupid things all the time. It's a weird form of deprivation and asceticism for no reason except punishment. I bought the cart and it's made my life wonderful, and I'm like why didn't I do this before?
- Find time every day to walk around. I feel more sane and balanced when I have regular walks. The thing I miss most about my last teaching job was the 15 minute walk each way. I listened to books, I explored my neighborhood, and I didn't spend it looking at a screen. I breathed actual outside air, and saw the sun and wind, and it's a small thing but it vastly improved my life, and I've been missing that. So walk in a way that's not necessarily like an exercise goal, but an entirely different thing.
- Try to become an actual adult with like budgets and a clean-ish apartment. A friend told me this past year she and her partner picked a goal each month to cross off the to do list, like get your budgets in order, or go get your check ups and make doctor's appointments. All the things we feel guilty about not doing that make a huge list that feels boring and like they'll never get done, and they weigh on you. But breaking it up to make small ones makes it achievable, you get to cross something off your list, and at the end of the year, you have done actually quite a lot. This month, I'm going to finish my big #Konmari and have an apartment that feels like home and sanctuary, without contributing to my stress and anxiety, for the first time like maybe ever in my life.