I've never been the best at making and keeping official New Year's resolutions. Occasionally there comes a year when I feel inspired and make up a cool poster of goals with graphics and witty captions to better the chances of keeping myself interested in those goals. However, this rarely works and is a waste of time and Pilot G2 pen ink, in my opinion. Frankly, the idea of resolutions seems to be a bit more damaging than helpful. Yes, that may sound like the beginning of a cop out of sorts, but why set yourself up for failure? Saying "I will complete this goal by this date or in this amount of time" can sometimes be the prelude to "I did not complete this goal by this date or in this amount of time, so I'll just sit here in self-loathing for a bit and eat ice cream." Even if you have success with most of your goals, chances are there is at least one that ends with this situation, or something similar to it.
So instead of writing down a record of slightly unreasonable challenges to hang on my wall and stare down at me tauntingly all year, I've decide to make a list of more optimistic and vague goals that I may or may not complete over the next 361 days left in 2015. Here they are:
So there you have it. Not too difficult and best of all, not too specific.
On another note, I'm going to be participating in a 21-day fast for the New Year. Many churches participate in the Daniel Fast around this time but, being a longtime vegetarian prone to occasional fainting episodes, I've decided to try something a bit less demanding. Let the record show that, starting a week from today and for the next 21 days after, I will be giving up coffee (holy hell) and any sort of dessert from the dining hall's dessert bar, AKA the devil's cornucopia. I do not condemn anyone for their choice of feasting or nibbling here. My relationship with the dessert bar is simply complicated, but we're working it out, I think.
This entry has been a bit shorter and less serious than my previous ones, but I hope you have still enjoyed it. If you're interested in fasting too, here is a good link to some yes foods and no foods of the Daniel Fast:
https://danielfast.wordpress.com/daniel-fast-food-list/
or, you can make up your own mini fast like me. Thanks for reading and happy New Year!
So instead of writing down a record of slightly unreasonable challenges to hang on my wall and stare down at me tauntingly all year, I've decide to make a list of more optimistic and vague goals that I may or may not complete over the next 361 days left in 2015. Here they are:
- Take more pleasure in little things, like the feeling of my creaky dorm bed beneath me after a long day or the sound of the pages turning in the undisclosed number of books I may or may not read for pleasure.
- Try to see how many different salads I can make with various types of lettuce and toppings at the salad bar. Repeat with the yogurt bar when possible.
- Write something by the Breeches (a creek that runs through my campus), even if it is as simple as "I am currently sitting by the Breeches."
- Go out swing dancing on some Fridays so the dresses in my closet see the light/lack thereof at the swing clubs. Also, ask someone to dance.
- Figure out what people find interesting about the gym. Seriously, some people are there every single night. Figure out the secret and take full advantage of it, stat.
- Leave Pillowtop Pentecostal (because no good church gives you both bedhead and pillowface with every sermon) and attend a real church on some Sundays, even if it is virtually.
- Learn something new about myself. Maybe I like kale or reggae music. Or maybe there's some inner part of me that is dying to make herself known to the cold, gray PA air.
- Use this blog more, because there must be some reason for it and my desire to write on it.
- And finally, snail mail. No further explanation needed.
So there you have it. Not too difficult and best of all, not too specific.
On another note, I'm going to be participating in a 21-day fast for the New Year. Many churches participate in the Daniel Fast around this time but, being a longtime vegetarian prone to occasional fainting episodes, I've decided to try something a bit less demanding. Let the record show that, starting a week from today and for the next 21 days after, I will be giving up coffee (holy hell) and any sort of dessert from the dining hall's dessert bar, AKA the devil's cornucopia. I do not condemn anyone for their choice of feasting or nibbling here. My relationship with the dessert bar is simply complicated, but we're working it out, I think.
This entry has been a bit shorter and less serious than my previous ones, but I hope you have still enjoyed it. If you're interested in fasting too, here is a good link to some yes foods and no foods of the Daniel Fast:
https://danielfast.wordpress.com/daniel-fast-food-list/
or, you can make up your own mini fast like me. Thanks for reading and happy New Year!