Mom was right. I have an attitude problem.
As I mentioned the other week, I don't make resolutions. That doesn't mean that I don't think about things I'd like to improve.
It's just that January 1 is such an arbitrary start date to do that. You could just as easily pick July 1. Or next Monday. Or tomorrow. Or today. But we all hang our hats on a "new start in the new year." Then, when we screw up, we just say, "Oh well. No one ever sticks to their resolutions anyway," and you tell yourself that you're in good company, that really it's okay that you didn't stick to your resolve, because everyone else probably failed, too.
"What an amazingly positive way to think," this Boring blogger says with a massive eye roll.
I hear the echoes of centuries of moms (or maybe just mine?) saying, "Oh, it's okay that your failed your test because the other kids did, too? I DON'T THINK SO."
All of that is to pointlessly reinforce why I don't like making New Year's resolutions. I like to take it much, much easier on myself. (That's actually just a general life philosophy of mine. My mother was always as thrilled about that as my "everyone else did just as badly" excuse. Sorry, Mama.)
Rather than resolving to save 20% of each paycheck, work out 5 days a week, eat at least 4 salads per week, or just generally get it together, instead I write a list of things I know I need to improve on. I take a moment for a little reflection, admire the good parts of the reflection (I do eat a lot of salad--good job, me!) and think about ways to make the bad parts a little less bad.
Here are a few things that, whether it's January, Tuesday, or the end of summer, I think I should improve on:
Self-pity. I'm striving to be content with what I have. I hate the phrase because it's almost too catchy to strike people as anything but a passing cliche, but adopting an "attitude of gratitude" is a huge help in this. Remember when I was whining about wanting a house? Well, I do still want a house. But I should not feel sorry for myself for not having one. I have a roof over my head and central heat and air every day and night. We'll get a house one day, most likely. All in good time.
Bible reading. I have great intentions and really, really poor follow-through. "I'm going to read it every day!" I should read it every day, but I don't. Instead of stipulating a set number of days per week, I think I'm going to just aim for cracking it open several times a week. It's vague enough that I don't feel like I fail if I skip a day or two, but indicates that I mean to do so more frequently than I receive my quarterly Roth IRA updates from Vanguard.
Health and fitness. Yeah, yeah, didn't I just declare that 2014 is the year of spanx? But that's about vanity, which honestly, is the main reason I exercise. I'm trying to shift my way of thinking about exercise, and taking care of myself in general, away from that. God gave me this one body, and with it came the gift of health. Do I want to say, "Thanks, God. This is great and all, but I really don't feel like maintaining this healthy body you've given me. I think I'd rather risk sliding into a slow decline because I like chips and fudge better than grilled veggies and outside it's not a perfect 74 degrees?" Mmm... probably not. And if taking care of myself also means a smaller muffin top?--I'm not against it.
Gossip. This is something I've been working on for a while, actually. Simply put, I'm trying not to. It isn't kind. It isn't loving. It isn't what I would have others do unto me and all that jazz. Unfortunately, it's perversely satisfying. Alas, I still have quite a ways to go.
There's other stuff, too, but hey, in a one-sided relationship like ours you take what you get, which today is just 4 things I feel like discussing. I see, even among those few things I listed, a trend. Each improvement I want to make ultimately means I have to change how I think, my attitudes. "Getchyer mind right, girl!" as they say. Whoever "they" are.
I have to stop with a bad attitude about what I feel I don't have. Stop with the lazy attitude towards reading for a few minutes. Stop with the disregard for my health in favor of a regard for my appearance. Stop thinking its okay to be mean if others won't know what I said about them.
It would seem that this means I have an attitude problem.
Umm, yes. According to that look on my adorable face, apparently from my earliest days I've have one. Looks like mom was right, again. (How does she do that?!)
Champagne wishes and caviar dreams to being a better you today... or whenever.
xo
So, what about you? If you made resolutions, what were they? Are you going to be swimsuit ready by February 1? Save 50% of your take home pay? Get a promotion and a 100% raise? Or do you have any general things you'd like to improve on without the hassle of calling it a "resolution"? Do you have an attitude problem like me?
It's just that January 1 is such an arbitrary start date to do that. You could just as easily pick July 1. Or next Monday. Or tomorrow. Or today. But we all hang our hats on a "new start in the new year." Then, when we screw up, we just say, "Oh well. No one ever sticks to their resolutions anyway," and you tell yourself that you're in good company, that really it's okay that you didn't stick to your resolve, because everyone else probably failed, too.
"What an amazingly positive way to think," this Boring blogger says with a massive eye roll.
I hear the echoes of centuries of moms (or maybe just mine?) saying, "Oh, it's okay that your failed your test because the other kids did, too? I DON'T THINK SO."
All of that is to pointlessly reinforce why I don't like making New Year's resolutions. I like to take it much, much easier on myself. (That's actually just a general life philosophy of mine. My mother was always as thrilled about that as my "everyone else did just as badly" excuse. Sorry, Mama.)
Rather than resolving to save 20% of each paycheck, work out 5 days a week, eat at least 4 salads per week, or just generally get it together, instead I write a list of things I know I need to improve on. I take a moment for a little reflection, admire the good parts of the reflection (I do eat a lot of salad--good job, me!) and think about ways to make the bad parts a little less bad.
Here are a few things that, whether it's January, Tuesday, or the end of summer, I think I should improve on:
Self-pity. I'm striving to be content with what I have. I hate the phrase because it's almost too catchy to strike people as anything but a passing cliche, but adopting an "attitude of gratitude" is a huge help in this. Remember when I was whining about wanting a house? Well, I do still want a house. But I should not feel sorry for myself for not having one. I have a roof over my head and central heat and air every day and night. We'll get a house one day, most likely. All in good time.
Bible reading. I have great intentions and really, really poor follow-through. "I'm going to read it every day!" I should read it every day, but I don't. Instead of stipulating a set number of days per week, I think I'm going to just aim for cracking it open several times a week. It's vague enough that I don't feel like I fail if I skip a day or two, but indicates that I mean to do so more frequently than I receive my quarterly Roth IRA updates from Vanguard.
Health and fitness. Yeah, yeah, didn't I just declare that 2014 is the year of spanx? But that's about vanity, which honestly, is the main reason I exercise. I'm trying to shift my way of thinking about exercise, and taking care of myself in general, away from that. God gave me this one body, and with it came the gift of health. Do I want to say, "Thanks, God. This is great and all, but I really don't feel like maintaining this healthy body you've given me. I think I'd rather risk sliding into a slow decline because I like chips and fudge better than grilled veggies and outside it's not a perfect 74 degrees?" Mmm... probably not. And if taking care of myself also means a smaller muffin top?--I'm not against it.
Gossip. This is something I've been working on for a while, actually. Simply put, I'm trying not to. It isn't kind. It isn't loving. It isn't what I would have others do unto me and all that jazz. Unfortunately, it's perversely satisfying. Alas, I still have quite a ways to go.
There's other stuff, too, but hey, in a one-sided relationship like ours you take what you get, which today is just 4 things I feel like discussing. I see, even among those few things I listed, a trend. Each improvement I want to make ultimately means I have to change how I think, my attitudes. "Getchyer mind right, girl!" as they say. Whoever "they" are.
I have to stop with a bad attitude about what I feel I don't have. Stop with the lazy attitude towards reading for a few minutes. Stop with the disregard for my health in favor of a regard for my appearance. Stop thinking its okay to be mean if others won't know what I said about them.
It would seem that this means I have an attitude problem.
 |
| As Stephanie Tanner would say, "How rude!" |
Champagne wishes and caviar dreams to being a better you today... or whenever.
xo
So, what about you? If you made resolutions, what were they? Are you going to be swimsuit ready by February 1? Save 50% of your take home pay? Get a promotion and a 100% raise? Or do you have any general things you'd like to improve on without the hassle of calling it a "resolution"? Do you have an attitude problem like me?
I'm totally stealing a quote from this one. My "resolutions" are also to focus on my relationship with God and be healthier (mind, body and spirit)!
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