I did okay. I've lost a lot of stamina, but I did walk a mile. I will be back there tomorrow. It's all part of my personal New Year resolutions. (It's my personal New Year because my birthday was yesterday.) Here are my resolutions for my personal new year.
1. Walk at the gym at least 200 times this year. Which, since I walked today, means I only have to walk 199 times more.
2. Take a photo each day.
3. Write 500 words each day.
4. Eat a salad and green veggie a day.
That's it. There are in addition to my regular chores and routines, but it doesn't sound like much. I mean, it sounds like I can do these things. So I'm going to try.
Here's my first photo. It's of an OSU sock monkey that a friend gave me for my birthday.
And here's the second photo. It's me at the end of this very long day.
Yes, I look tired. That's because I am. And I still have a couple hundred words to write before I can call it a night. That’s okay. I find writing – especially when I have no particular goal – to be relaxing. It’s like wandering around outside or browsing the shelves at the library. Just looking about and seeing what catches my interest. Sometimes a poem, sometimes a scene for book, whatever is interesting.
Too many times, I have forced myself to write. I have a deadline. Or I have a project. I need to make money. So I write because I must rather than because I want to. Writing needs to be fun for me. I don’t mind hard working fun or serious fun, but fun nonetheless. I’ve been thinking of writing as a chore, and it’s supposed to be enjoyable. So that’s what I’m working on with these writing rambles. Rediscovering my joy of the written word. Learning how to soar again instead of trudging on the ground. You can get a lot of places by trudging – and no writing life will ever only be soaring – but the miles can be hard on your spirit. They wear you down. Eat away at your soul and your hope.
You would think that particular epiphany would be counter to my resolution of writing 500 words a day, but since it’s writing for me to enjoy – writing for the sake of writing as opposed to any other reason – it’s actually a commitment to joy. Besides, I’ve trudged too long to completely give it up.
So those are my Personal New Year Resolutions. I’ll share my progress with you as the year goes. I hope I keep them. Your support and encouragement will be appreciated.
2 comments:
Happy New Year! Those goals sound very attainable. Consider tracking distance and times and how you felt during your walk (generally, not down to the painfully gory details). Maybe jot it down in your writing for the day or capture it on a calendar. After a few weeks or months, you'll be pleasantly surprised at your progress.
After a couple of bad days with my knee locking up, I made it go for ten minutes on the bike to start knocking off the burrs. (I was also trying to get the thing to duplicate the thunking sound I'd been hearing -- to no avail). My commitment is yardwork or some other form of exercise for the remainder of the year at least five days a week.
I meant to post last night. Oops. I'll get current tonight.
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