5 January 2012 07:52am UTC
★
Well, as everyone knows, a new year is upon us, and that means it is time for New Year's Resolutions.
Last year I kept my resolutions intentionally vague so they'd be easier to accomplish. Let's see what they were and how I did:
- Don't stay up as late. I'd say this one was a wash. I did no better or worse than previous years. Sometimes I'd stay up late, and sometimes I wouldn't. And in light of my last post, I don't think I'll be stressing too much about this in the future...
- Be better about working when I'm supposed to, so I can enjoy the time when I'm not supposed to be working. For the most part I did pretty well at this. I could be better though. But I was definitely much better than I have been in the past.
- Eat better. Another wash. There are two things that help us eat better in our household. A) planning meals ahead of time. If you wait until you are about to cook to decide what you are going to eat, you usually choose something easy. And usually if something is easy that means it is prepackaged and lacking in healthy goodness. B) having a clean kitchen. I'm in charge of the dishes around here, and historically I've been pretty bad about that.
- Be more active. Definitely succeeded here.
- Be a better friend. I'd say slightly better than a wash. I responded to more emails than past years probably, but was still an atrocious correspondent. But I think I did a pretty good job of staying in touch with people. I knew what most people were up to.
So overall I don't think I did all that great with my new years resolutions. And I think that was a direct consequence of having not been specific enough. Basically, I just plain forgot about them.
My new plan is to make new years resolutions with very clear rules. The only requirement about the rules though is that the resolutions have low barriers to entry. Basically instead of say, making it my resolution to
walk 10,000 steps everyday, I'd make my resolution to intentionally walk 500. That way it is easy to do and if I'm busy or stressed I can do it real quick and get it over with. But odds are, if I get out there and do the small requirement I'll over achieve and to go with our example, walk much more than 500.
Anyway, here goes:
- Do some form of core exercise every day. Requirements for core exercise are that I do one of the following: A) 10 push ups or B) 60 seconds of planks. Both of those are easy enough these days, that if I get to the end of the day and haven't done my core workout yet, I could easily do them right before I go to sleep. So, far this year, I'm 4 for 4 with this one.
- Run one race a month. I think having something to train for gets you motivated and keeps you on track. This is kind of expensive, so maybe make a part of the resolution to find cheap races.
- Do dishes every day we are in our home. Like I mentioned above, we eat healthier when we have a clean kitchen. Now, everyday might sound like a lot for someone who has historically been pretty terrible about this. But let me tell you, starting in mid-November I've been doing exactly this. If I do it before I go to sleep there usually aren't very many and it is pretty painless. I'm excused from this one if we're travelling somewhere. I think it is fair to expect that when other people visit our home, we'll do the dishes and when we visit their home, they do the dishes. That way, if either of us are on vacation, we don't have to do dishes. I really do hate doing dishes.
- Plan out at least two meals a week ahead of time. Doesn't matter what we plan, even if it is unhealthy, but at least two meals can't be decided upon the night of. Again, like I said above, generally we eat healthier if we do this.
- Make monthly saving goals. Start out by recording all money transactions so we have a means of measuring this. We've done a good job of saving this last year when we can, but haven't made any concrete goals. I think a part of being financially responsible is making goals about how much you want to spend and save, and sticking to them. That way you are held accountable and can't say, "oh just one more pair of Smartwool socks" every time you go to REI (what can I say, my S.O. likes pink Smartwool socks and I like spoiling her!).
- Be a better friend. Same as last year, but with a new requirement: respond to at least one email or message from a friend a week.
Well, there they are! Basically the same in spirit as last years (eat healthier, stay in shape, be a good friend, though minus the work stuff—I'm getting pretty good at that), plus some money stuff. With one notable exception: hard concrete requirements. Though the requirements should all be pretty easy.
I think the daily resolutions have a better chance of happening than the others, so we'll see how things go. I'll be sure to keep you updated!
What are everyone else's New Year's Resolutions?
Here's to a new year!
29 December 2011 09:33am UTC
★ ★ ★
I relish the night.
Well, the night probably isn't my favorite part of the day. I mean, in terms of options, daylight has so many more possibilites. But in the time after everyone has gone to sleep and before you see the first rays of sunlight coming in through the window, that, that is a wonderful time.
I remember in college being up at 2 or 3am and wandering the halls of my dorm. Even though often during the day you'd find yourself alone while going to and from your room, there was something different about the emptiness of the halls at night. The dim lighting. The lack of noise; The only thing you could hear was the hum of the fluorescent bulbs. You felt like you had the whole building to yourself. Hell, the whole world.
The world feels calm at night. You move at a different speed. You don't rush around, and even if you do, your rushing has a certain pace to it.
The night never feels like it is going to end. If you start a project at night, be it personal or for school or for work, the far off dawn is this never approaching deadline. You are in a world all to yourself. You can put something off for as long as you want, but as long as you start before midnight, you can probably get what you need done.
I look forward to the night, because I know that usually, at the very least, I will out last most everyone else. And after everyone has gone and returned to their homes, their nighttime worlds, or drifted off to sleep, I will again have my world all to myself. I love that time alone to unwind from the day's events. I can read or program or clean. For as long as I want. And eventually I can crawl in bed next to my wife, who has prewarmed the covers for me, cuddle up next to her warm body and let my head hit that pillow and disappear into sleep practically immediately.
I've long had a theory that the best way to sleep is to stay up as long as you possibly can, and then when you can't stay up any longer you won't have any trouble falling asleep and sleeping well. Though that philosophy really only works if you can wake when you want to and/or nap when you want to. But man, when sleep finally comes after staying up late into the night, it is so wonderful. Sleeping after a late night might be one of my favorite things in the world.
I hate trying to go to sleep early, and lying in bed wondering when I'll finally drift off, hoping it will happen soon. Wonderful, deep sleep isn't obtained that way!
I get more done at night. I know about the studies that talk about how the less you sleep you get the less efficient and functional you are, but I can concentrate better at 1am than I can at 1pm. At night you don't have the distractions of the world. And I've always been that way. In college I'd say most of my homework was done late after all the distractions had gone off to bed. I guess sometimes late at night I hit a problem that I can't think through, but that usually just means I've hit that magical point at which I need to sleep.
All that said not all is always peachy about the night... If I'm out of "my home" (whatever that may be that particular night: my apartment, or the house I'm staying at, or the hotel I'm in, or my tent, etc), then the night is nothing but absolutely, completely, petrifyingly terrifying. I hate the dark. Or if I am in "my home" but trapped in my head, stressed out about the future or the past, then then night is neverending and oh so incredibly lonely.
But I prefer not to think of the night that way. The night is a hopeful time, a chance to get ready for the next day when when I'll do everything right and get everything I need to done.
One of my favorite nighttime memories is from one of our yearly trips to the mountains in January. This was in high school and I was up later than everyone else (which was rare at the time) and I wandered out onto the balcony to watch the snow falling. I remember just staring up into those giant falling snow flakes and watching them come floating down.
Being up later than everyone else at night feels like that snow falling. Peaceful, calm and full of potential.
Oh, boy do I relish the night!
And now my friends, I'm going to roll over, cuddle with Keri and pass out. I'll see you in the morning!
6 December 2011 04:14am UTC
★ ★
My list of movies coming out in the next few months that I'm excited about, ordered from most excited to least:
(Old lists, in case you're interested. Of my last list, I didn't see a single one. Bummer.)
(I have to say, 2010 was one of the most amazing years for movies ever. 10 movies were nominated for Best Picture and I thought 7 of them deserved it. This year I can't even think of a movie I'd nominate. Maybe I'm just watching the wrong movies.)
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
This movie looks like an absolutely excellent adaptation of the book. And if that's true, it is going to be quite intense! Be warned!
- New Year's Eve
Same premise as the bad Valentine's Day and decent He's Just Not that Into You: a bunch of different stories with a bunch of stars. Where in the spectrum do you think it will be? Personally, these movies are basically tailor made for me. I won't even begin to list the stars I like that are in it!
- One for the Money
Base on the book One for the Money which is the first book in a series my in-laws are all really into. So, it should be pretty fun. And it has Katherine Heigl who I hated until I got obsessed with Grey's Anatomy.
- We Bought a Zoo
Matt Damon? Check! Cute animals? Check! Need I say more? Nope!
- Big Miracle
Feel good movie about saving a whale (well, technically three of them), haven't we seen this before? That said it looks pretty cute and I can't get enough of Drew Barrymore or John Krasinski!
- The Adventures of Tintin
I loved the Tintin books, but have read terrible reviews of the movie. But the trailer looks pretty good!
- The Secret World of Arrietty
I love the book this is based on!
- Contraband
I tell ya, you just can't help but root for this Mark Whalberg guy!
- Gone
This looks terrifying! The only reason it is on the list is that it has Amanda Seyfried from Veronica Mars.
- This Means War
I like both the male leads in this movie, but it is certainly something we've all seen before. Looks fun, though.
- The Vow
Similar in vein to The Notebook or Dear John, this looks completely over the top and sappy, and I'll probably enjoy it!
- Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked
The trailer looks really cute! I haven't seen the first two though... think it matters?
- Sherlock Holmes: a Game of Shadows
I enjoyed the first one, so I'll give this one a shot.
4 December 2011 08:35am UTC
★ ★
Why look at that! It's my 28th birthday! Send me emails and texts and messages and Facebook messages and generally shower me with attention!
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