Non-resolutions

No doubt, I need to lose weight. I could even set a goal, which in my experience is too much like a resolution. Instead: loosely track what I'm eating. I say "loosely" because I've tried tracking it closely, and I get behind, and then lose track, and then just feel guilty about it. Maybe jot down stuff on a card in my shirt pocket. I think simply raising awareness may be all I need.

I'm looking at "next life stage" stuff. I've thought a lot about what I might do. I've realized, though, that the first thing I need to do is take a sabbatical, and because of the nature of what I'm dealing with, it needs to be open-ended with no deadline. So I'm consciously not making a resolution, setting any goals, etc. The closest I'm coming to it regarding this topic is: be open. Pay attention. Notice what interests/excites you (at the moment, nothing, but this, too, shall pass).

We pay off our mortgage this month. That means we've been here 20 years, and still haven't finished unpacking. There has never been enough time. The degree of decluttering, cleaning, straightening, etc., needed is overwhelming. I will start one square foot at a time, and I will not set a timeline. Just a little bit every day, except that if I decide to blow off a day, then by George it is my day and my decision. Resolutions be damned.

See "tracking" above. Just raising awareness should help with this, and I don't want to start counting things.

What would the resolution be? Number of books? Number of pages? Hours per day? Reading used to be my preferred "downtime," but these days if I read more than about 15 minutes I fall asleep. So first thing: catch up on sleep. Once I'm rested, this (and other things on this list) will come naturally.

Pretty much the same as "read." I think I still have things to say, but at the moment not much motivation to say them.

I want to do this. But I don't want to set it as a resolution or a goal. I already feel guilty enough. When the time comes, I want to be conscious about it, because this is not going to happen organically. But no resolution about it.

As soon as I make this a "goal" or a resolution, it will become work. I want to just enjoy it. It would be helpful, though, to plant a reminder on my phone or something so that I will remember the pleasure I get from just stepping outside for a few minutes.

This could take years. There is so much to do. Plus, I hate doing stuff like this. I will pay someone to do it, but first I have to figure out who to get to do some of it. There's always something that has to be done before whatever it is I want to do right now. Setting a resolution is just a recipe for disappointment. As time unfolds before me with my sabbatical, I will naturally spot something, pick up the phone, and call someone, and that will start it rolling.