Thursday, January 1, 2015

Happy New Year (2015) and resolutions (to be broken)

Yes indeed, Happy New Year.  I found the last half of 2014 pretty awful from a geopolitical standpoint and a bit disappointing on the personal level.  We're starting to realize how hard it will be to buy a home in the Toronto neighbourhood we like, but we haven't given up.  I am trying to reorient towards more research-oriented projects at work, but it is difficult.  To that end, I actually have a paper to work on tomorrow (due Wed. at noon!) and will be spending much of the day at Robarts.  If I get there early enough, I may be able to browse through the MacLeans issues and do a bit more background research for my novel, though I admit it is starting to just feel like I am stalling.

Not to be too cynical about it, but most resolutions are meant to be broken.  If it is something you really want to change about yourself, then you should begin that when you are ready, and not make a big deal about it on New Year's (Eve or Day).  But what is far more important, is that if you are serious about it, put a support structure in place that will help.

So for instance, I have been feeling really low about getting out of shape.  I was making minor but real progress once I started biking, but it has gotten quite hard to bike, though I did bike to work once last week.  I really thought I would go once or twice this week, but it was just bitterly cold, and I do not have the proper winter biking gear, aside from the gloves, which are an upgrade.  On the other hand, the recreation centre near my house has changed its lap swimming times to something that actually works for me, so I could go twice a week.  I think now I will go over and sign up for a three month membership and make a real effort to go over.  Also, if the weather warms up even a bit, I will try to bike once or twice a month through the winter, on days the bike lanes are not clogged with snow or, even worse, slush.  I consider this a more feasible lifestyle change, than just announcing my resolution is to lose X pounds.

At any rate, I simply no longer resolve to be more patient with people, as I can't change my stripes.  I can try to be more patient with my immediate family and to spend more time with the kids in the evenings (when I am not swimming that is...).

I have 10 or so outstanding posts that I will try to wrap up by the end of Feb., but I will definitely be posting less.  I have made decent progress on a new play (called The Study Group) and I want to spend more time doing revisions on my older plays and of course make serious progress on a short story and the novel.

I am on the fence with regards to cutting back the reading in favour of more creative writing.  As long as I am taking public transit, it is pretty dicey expecting to get a seat (and thus be able to write).  Reading is a lot more feasible.  However, I should seriously consider taking away some reading time in the evening and work on my writing.  Of course that means that just as I am wrapping up the Russians and getting back to my original list, I'll have less time for it.  But that is just the way things are.  Sometimes you do have to pick and choose, and I don't really want to scale back my concerts and theatre events.

I can't really think of anything else that I resolve to do in 2015, but feel free to post your resolutions (realistic or fantastic) below...

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