What are yours?
Do you make them?
Please share your thoughts.
I don't.
I have an on going list of things, and I do them, usually when i can, or when the motivation is right. The list gets revised as-needed, which is reasonably often. There are shortterm and medium term and long term things on that list.
The thing with resolutions is... if I didn't have the motivation to do something on Dec 15th, I'm not likely to have it on Jan 1st. And there's no Big Bang when you turn the calendar page to Jan. 1st.
For me, I tend to think about things for a while, and one day I get a moment of clarity of sorts, and jump in both feet.
Starting things when I'm half hearted about them or feel like I should, or someone is pushing me to. I know myself well enough to know that I'm not gonna stick with them, and it's a waste of time and energy, not to mention an additional blow to self esteem that quitting can do. Have enough false starts, and one day you can find yourself believing you can't do the race.
In my case, this is true in swimming and life in general.
Parents
Former Member
First (nervous) post.........
I have adopted New Year's Resolutions for the last four years and have found that one of the keys to success is to *share* them with others. I have some sadistic friends who check in periodically to see how I'm doing.
For 2003, I resolved the following (results in parentheses):
Connect with at least five people I hadn't seen or spoken to in AT LEAST one year (accomplished (though one was only a LONG telephone conversation; the other four were for lunch)).
400 IM (It was ugly, but I did it in March (not in a meet - just during a training set). Was planning on doing it one more time, but I messed up my knee shoveling snow about 4 weeks ago, so I'm not doing breaststroke for a while.)
Swim AT LEAST 4 days/week (accomplished.)
Finish reading my "daily readings" Bible (FAILED. Got about 40% through in 2002 and only did about another 20% this year. drat.)
Make every single athletic competition of my children (or, if I can't be there, my husband would be) (YAY!!!!!!!!!!! Accomplished. Which is amazing because my son (15) and my daughter (17) each play 3 sports, plus club sports (no swimmers, but my daughter is a water polo player).)
Go out to dinner with my husband on our anniversary (accomplished. (Isn't it PATHETIC that one has to resolve to go out on a date with one's husband?))
Take a killer family vacation (accomplished. We went on a Disney cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. Everyone should do it - it's NICE. No vulgar/innuendo/garbage. Just Mickey, etc.)
I've been planning 2004's - you will be the first people to know of my ideas:
Another 400 IM (in training - no competition)
Ten random acts of kindness (this one could be hard)
Two dates with my husband this year -
Travel at least two times - away/overnight - with just women. One trip with college roommates (I graduated in 1978, so we go way back) and one trip with two local moms of my daughter's best friends since all three of our girls will be going off to college in August.
I like the idea of resolutions, particularly when they are written down and shared. And, I should point out, I don't beat myself up if I don't make it - for me, as long as the sun came up this morning, the glass is half full.......
Kathy Johnston
First (nervous) post.........
I have adopted New Year's Resolutions for the last four years and have found that one of the keys to success is to *share* them with others. I have some sadistic friends who check in periodically to see how I'm doing.
For 2003, I resolved the following (results in parentheses):
Connect with at least five people I hadn't seen or spoken to in AT LEAST one year (accomplished (though one was only a LONG telephone conversation; the other four were for lunch)).
400 IM (It was ugly, but I did it in March (not in a meet - just during a training set). Was planning on doing it one more time, but I messed up my knee shoveling snow about 4 weeks ago, so I'm not doing breaststroke for a while.)
Swim AT LEAST 4 days/week (accomplished.)
Finish reading my "daily readings" Bible (FAILED. Got about 40% through in 2002 and only did about another 20% this year. drat.)
Make every single athletic competition of my children (or, if I can't be there, my husband would be) (YAY!!!!!!!!!!! Accomplished. Which is amazing because my son (15) and my daughter (17) each play 3 sports, plus club sports (no swimmers, but my daughter is a water polo player).)
Go out to dinner with my husband on our anniversary (accomplished. (Isn't it PATHETIC that one has to resolve to go out on a date with one's husband?))
Take a killer family vacation (accomplished. We went on a Disney cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. Everyone should do it - it's NICE. No vulgar/innuendo/garbage. Just Mickey, etc.)
I've been planning 2004's - you will be the first people to know of my ideas:
Another 400 IM (in training - no competition)
Ten random acts of kindness (this one could be hard)
Two dates with my husband this year -
Travel at least two times - away/overnight - with just women. One trip with college roommates (I graduated in 1978, so we go way back) and one trip with two local moms of my daughter's best friends since all three of our girls will be going off to college in August.
I like the idea of resolutions, particularly when they are written down and shared. And, I should point out, I don't beat myself up if I don't make it - for me, as long as the sun came up this morning, the glass is half full.......
Kathy Johnston
