From the editor: New Year's resolutions redone for fun

December 29th 8:27 pm | Carey Restino    

Each year, thousands of Alaskans choose Jan. 1 as the start date to their new-and-improved life. The gyms flood with eager exercisers, salad greens jump off the shelves, and those who still have yet to quit smoking brace themselves for the big fight.

As traditions go, New Year's resolutions generally positive. Few people make a resolution that is bad for them, and self improvement is rarely a bad thing. We all know our weaknesses, and if a self-imposed deadline helps us face them, the more power to it. But will a smaller waistline really create the sense of self-fulfillment we are craving or will it just leave us feeling empty. What really matters, when it comes down to it? Here's a secret - it isn't money or beauty, those don't last. So let's try something different and have some fun while we're at it. After all, one of the top five life regrets is that people didn't enjoy life enough.

1. Resolve to get outside in the winter. I know, it's cold and if you are anything like me, if you have to shovel the walk again you might just blow a gasket. But here's a funny thing — have you noticed that more often than not, when you are outside it is more fun than you expected it to be? We get into a habit of hibernating this time of year, and if you have a hard time remembering when the last time you went outside for more than moving from home to work to home, it's time to go for a walk. Bundle up. A friend often repeats the saying, "There's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing." Try it. Try it for a week. We don't get enough light on our faces in Alaska in the winter. Even a half hour.

2. Resolve to try something you've never tried before. Enroll in a class. Make a date with a casual friend that you've always wanted to get to know better. Drive home a different way. My neighbor spontaneously went to a concert a while back - drove a long way to see it, too, and found the experience incredibly invigorating. We get stuck in the routine of our lives, too often. When you shake things up a little, it makes a big difference in how we feel. What's the worse that can happen? You won't like the new experience, and you can then move on to something else. No harm. No foul.

3. Resolve to be a little kinder to the earth. Now wait, before you get worried, I did say a little. But a roll of recycled paper towel next time. Or reuse some scrap paper. Or walk somewhere instead of driving. Or carry your purchases out to the car from the store without getting a plastic bag. One doesn't have to reorder your entire world to make a difference. Little steps beget big impacts.

4. Resolve to identify time wasters and replace them with things that enrich your life. Mine is my computer, hand's down. I can sit with that thing on my lap for hours in the evening - hours when I could be reading a book or painting or enjoying some quiet reflective time. For lots of people, watching TV for hours is their biggest time-sucker. It's your life - choose how you want to spend your time. Most of us have plenty of time in the day to do the things we want to do, we just fail to pay attention to how we are spending that time.

5. Resolve to be happy. Sounds simple enough really, but in practice it's pretty challenging sometimes. Identifying the things that are your happiness strengths is a great way to start. Tickle your kids. Play cards with a friend. Turn up the music and sing. Want to know the top regret from those who are on their death bed? That they didn't allow themselves to enjoy life enough. It doesn't always feel like it, but it really is a choice.

Lots of people scoff at New Year's resolutions, probably because of a history of making and breaking these pledges to oneself. But perhaps that's just because the resolution was ill fitted. To truly change yourself, you're going to have to want to. To want to, it's got to be something you think about and enjoy. If not, it'll probably just wind up in that stack of resolutions that didn't stick. So find something that rings true, sounds like fun, and will improve your life in a subtle, yet significant, way. Good luck! Happy New Year!

 

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