Tag Archives: New Years resolutions

Resolutions


Marilyn Monroe

Do you make resolutions?  I know some people really do, and, of course, others recycle resolutions year after year.  I think either way is fine, practice makes perfect after all.

On New Year’s Day we went to yoga and our instructor started the practice by talking about resolutions, and she framed it a bit differently.  She said in the yoga tradition, instead of saying “I will be healthier in 2012” you might say, “I am healthier now.”   This is called a San Culpa and it is an intention, and positive affirmation.  It is suggested that you repeat the san culpa often so that it becomes absorbed into your being and your way of life.

Heavy, right?  Well, what I thought was most interesting about this idea is that it is really tied to what you’re doing in the moment.  Notice you don’t say, “I will be” but “I am.”  So, if you’ve set a resolution for yourself and perhaps fallen off the wagon already, you can start over right now.

Every year we set new resolutions.  But, no one says we can’t resolve to do better, and better every day, every hour, every moment.  It’s your resolution, your rules.

Realizing Resolutions


Tradition tells us that on New Year’s Eve in addition to making plans, finding an outfit and getting ready you should also take some time for reflection and resolve to do better in the new year.  For me something has to give, and it’s usually the resolution part.  However, this year was different.  

This New Year’s Eve Mark and I were getting married a few weeks later and so charting the year with goals, and plans seemed to be more natural than before.

I will share with you some of my goals for the year, and the progress so far:
  • Continue yoga practice so that I can finally touch my heels to the ground in downward dog 
This isn’t me, but that’s the goal.
  •  Read 1 book a month, this seems fairly achievable, but I need to work on it.  I picked up a few duds that derailed this goal…
  • Run 5 miles without stopping, this goal was designed so that I could seriously treat myself to a new pair of shoes, at the time it was the Brian Atwood Maniac Pumps
Brian Atwood Maniac Pumps    
  •  Bake more and take chances with my baking.  This has been a success, as evidenced here, and here, here, and here.  A large part of this goal was that with baking, more so than cooking, if you make a mistake it’s obvious; there is no denying a deflated souffle, a dry cake or crumbly cookie.  Baking forces you to take a risk with every open and close of the oven door.  
  • Be published again.  This has been perhaps the most personal goal.  In my former job I had been establishing myself as an expert in the fashion/premium denim field when it came to fits and what celebrities were wearing.  I had been quoted for the AP, In Style, Life & Style and Real Simple – and with every snippet of an article, it was always a thrill. Today I realized that thrill again when I got to write for the DC Ladies blog.  This blog is a community of women in their 20’s-30’s-40’s who write on events, travel, food, fitness and life in general.  I will be writing there every two weeks about food. 

Thank you for being a part of this journey so far, and I’ll keep you updated on that downward dog thing, as I continue…

Things to look forward to this week: The magic of oven dried tomatoes, seriously wow!, homemade pizza party, some more sweet treats, Wedding Wednesday and more!