Is 2011 the year of commitment?
I have spent much of the past ten days contemplating milestones and their significance. Milestones offer a great way to mark passages of time, to step aside for a moment to consider where you’ve come from and where you look like you’re going, and to work out if things need a minor tune up or a complete realignment.
For me, 2011 is the year of complete realignment. At first I I didn’t realise this. 2010 was such a big year of change - I backpacked in Egypt and Europe, returned home from over a year and a half away where I was mostly volunteering in Bangladesh, moved back in with my parents, started freelancing, moved cities from Sydney to Melbourne, went to Borneo for a wedding, got a great job which I resigned from to accept my dream job (for now), and turned 30. And that’s just the highlights.
Compared to that, 2011 seemed like it would be a total breeze… Until I remembered that I love change. I thrive on throwing myself into new situations, new cities, new countries, new friends, and new workplaces. For me, the unknown is enticing, full of promise and possibilities, and something to look forward to.
Cue moment of pure terror when I sat down with a blank piece of paper to write about the things in my life I wanted to change in 2011 only to be left with….a blank sheet of paper. Job? Great. House? Wonderful. Melbourne? My new spiritual home. Country? And give up the other three? No way.
Hence the major realignment. I need 2011 to be the Year of the Commitment, where I actually stick to things. Stand still. Be in one place. Which sounds incredibly scary.
So rather than changing the big things, I decided to try and change some of the littler, lifestyle things I’ve been meaning to address but haven’t quite got around to in the form of a few New Year’s resolutions.
But according to life gurus Zen Habits (The definitive guide to sticking to your New Year’s Resolutions) and Penelope Trunk (How to keep a New Year’s Resolution), I know getting them to stick is hard. So hard that less than 5% of all NY resolutions last, which is quite depressing now I’ve set some.
They’re not overly interesting, and are the same for many people right now, but in the interests of not being a pain in the arse, here they are:
1. Stop eating tuna. It’s terrible for the species, which are nearly extinct, and I feel incredible pangs of guilt every time I eat some because I know my behaviour is not reflective of my attitude and that sucks.
2. Become debt free. Not that I’m in a lot of debt, I’m not, but I do own a credit card and I do like to use it and I want that to stop.
3. Eat more meals at home. Because I want to learn how to cook more than a stir fry, eat healthier, and save money. It just makes sense.
4. Drink less alcohol, less often. Fresh off the back of a silly season, it’s time to Step Away From The Bottle, which will be a piece of cake if I manage to stick to number 3, and both 3 & 4 will help me keep number 2, which means I’ve got quite a nice little little circular thing going on there.
We’re on to day 10 of 365 and so far so good…
Related: My 20 things from 2010
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