Sunday, July 03, 2005

I Resolve to Be Resolute in My Resolutions

I've decided that New Year's Resolutions are a bad deal all the way around. I've only managed to keep one (I'm flossing now!) in the last five years. I think this has something to do with the horrible time of year that you are expected to make these commitments. I mean, let's face it, January 1 is possibly the worst time of year to enact change. You have so many strikes against you from the start...

1) you are burnt out from the holiday season
2) you are likely broke
3) you likely feel like a fat, alcohol-saturated glutton prone to post-indulgent depression
4) it's freezing outside
5) the winter blahs are right around the corner.
With odds like that, it's no wonder that most NYE resolutions fail.

So I've decided to make my resolutions on the nation's birthday instead. July 1 is the new day for resolution making. It has all the same trappings as the NYE holiday (fireworks, copious drinking, friendly festivities) but without the nasty aftermath. In fact, it's a better day since you have had the first 6 months of the year to formulate a solid plan of worthwhile resolutions. The weather is warm and you likely have some holiday time to devote to "bettering" yourself anyway. There is a plethora of activities to enjoy, participate in, experiment with and so on. It's really a winner of a philosophy if you think about it.

So for my first year of July 1st Resolutions, I am aiming for the following...

a) lose (and keep off) 10 lbs
b) engage in one physical activity (of 20 minutes plus) each day
c) seriously apply for admission to a PhD program for September
d) re-alocate the majority of my shopping dollars to social and development activities/opportunities

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