Slightly Off-Balance

AHHHHHHH!!!

I feel better now.  Wait…

AHHHHHH!!!

Okay, all better now.

Why all the screaming you ask?  (If you didn’t ask, just humor me.)

Well, you see, today is New Years Eve and you know what that means…

No, not drunken debacles.  Well, yes, there may be those, but that didn’t make me scream.  At least not yet.

I am screaming because the mere thought of making a New Years Resolution stresses me out!  Seriously, if I haven’t been able to accomplish as task as of now, why is a specific date going to make it any easier?!  It’s not.  It’s just going to add pressure. 

I will be sitting at dinner with a few friends tonight and we will be talking about what to give up.  Yes, I am aware resolutions don’t have to be about giving things up.  They can be about starting things like going to the gym, taking more time for ourselves, blah blah blah.  Our group tends to focus on the what can we give up to be healthier.  Aka, what vice can we give up to make more room for other vices.  I call this phenomenon the vice exchange and have done scientific studies and experiments on the topic.  Go ahead, click the link to learn about the vice exchange, I’ll wait right here. 

Welcome back.  Back to giving stuff up – We have one gentlemen in our social circle who gave up chips one year, crazy bastard – (you know you were thinking it too!)  He made it the whole 365 days and then went two more months just because. (Insert more name calling here.)  So the next year we all decided to give something up.  I know, I know – if your friend jumps off a cliff…  Anyways, I gave up ice cream.  As you know, I am a sweets-aholic.  But I figured if I could keep cake, cookies, candy, etc I would be ok.  The first few months went great.  Yep, I was a superstar for not eating ice cream IN THE WINTER!  But the minute the weather warmed up, my will power cooled down.  I ate ice cream in April.  Nope, I didn’t even make it until a heat wave when it may have been medically necessary to consume frozen dairy products.

This was two years ago and I haven’t made a resolution since.  As you may have read, I have given things up for bets and I give things up for Lent, but a whole year of not doing something, or starting something for that matter?  SCARY! 

So my resolution is not to make a resolution.  Resolutions don’t allow for balance in the normal chaos of life and I am all about balance.  I prefer, rather, to be “mindful” of certain things.  So here is my (da da da da – that’s trumpets):

2011 Mindful List:

• Be real.  I swear in real life.  Not around children or relatives, but with friends.  I approach this blog as if chatting with my friends, so may see more frequent swearing (like calling my chip-quitting neighbor a bastard).  Swearing is the real me.  Also included in the real me is inappropriate humor (I will use a filter though – you’re welcome), bouts of craziness (you may have already suspected this one) and a severe case of ADD.
• Judge myself by the same bar as I judge others.  I am tougher on myself than others, so I am going to give myself a break and be more accepting of me, the way I am accepting of my crazy (not a judgment, but rather a compliment) friends.
• Drinking water.  It reduces headaches, helps chapped lips, promotes clear skin and can prevent or reduce hangovers.  Water is my new BFF.  But Captain is still my boyfriend.
• Exercise is not the enemy.  I feel better after a good workout.  I can eat more sweets and still fit into my clothes.  I can visit with my friends while working out.  I can waterski and wakeboard without severe injury.  I’ll be mindful of the benefits of kicking my own ass.
• Sweets are like house guests – they are better in small doses.
• Instant gratification is not always the best option. I am not sure I belive this, but I will be mindful of it (or be reminded of it when my credit card statement comes).

Well, I think my list is already too long for me.  So let’s talk about you. 

What are you going to be mindful of in 2011? 

I’ll get you started:

• Paige LOVES comments on her blog.  Something as quick as “so true” makes me smile and I love people who are  wittier than me.  There seems to be a lot of folks in this category… hmm…