New Years Day reflections

     New Years Day.  Even before I thought about the concept of Now, I always wondered about why many people think about New Year as a beginning or a start over.  We start over or anew every Now and the next Now.  We make resolutions most of which don’t make it until February.

     Life happens, and our plans change, and our course is adjusted by things often far beyond our control or liking.   People leave, new people come, relationships shift from lovers or friends to companions to people sharing a house or the reverse if you watch Hallmark movies.

    

     For many years I did the Best Year Yet plan for my birthday.  That felt like a special day to reflect and think about where I would like to be on the next birthday.

I have kept my list for several years now and I am ashamed to say, like most folks I know, one year blends into the next and little has been checked off.  This was last years

food Pay attention to food consumption 

    I pay attention some of the time and gained and lost and ended up about 4 pounds heavier

walk 5000 steps – and go to the  gym

    My average walk day is 4690 so not bad and when home I get to the gym 2x a week

Practice (meditate) 10 min  for 10 day in 2 weeks

    If you add that up..100 minutes in 2 weeks..    Not bad  doing average 15 min with 50 min on Sundays when home

Listen more than talk   - I have listened a little more and have spend more time checking things out after I talked too much… but that is returning to next years list

put fun in your weekly life – Using my yellow mark for a fun item, I get some fun in several times a week. – Now my idea of fun often is having a meal in good company and not necessarily going to Disney Land.  I am going to keep that one

read - 30 minutes a day – I have no idea which alter ego put that one in.   I read articles on line, and a page in my book… but I do listen to my audiobook for 30 min before I go to sleep.

enhance swimming skills -  I am stuck on this one.  My teacher moved out of town and I just can’t get myself into the pool without his motivation.. but I did bring two suits and my googles to Thailand

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So as I end 2017, I am going to write new resolutions for last year or as they will be called reflections

       1.       Paint the house [check]

       2.       Buy a new furnace [check]

       3.       Pay off the mortgage [check]

       4.       Pay off the car [check]

       5.       Do three retreats [check]

       6.       Get off the Preservation Board [check]

       7.       Find someone who knows what they are doing and create a little effort garden [check]

       8.       Buy a good juicer, a good steamer and a good sauna to enhance my life [check]

       9.       Identify who and what makes me happy and unhappy and reduce to eliminate the unhappy part 

                           [ok 9 out of I0 isn’t bad]

     10.   Spend more time with people, places and things that make you smile [check]

So from now on, I am going to do a New Years Reflection on the accomplishment and not resolutions that are sidestepped when life happens.