Ah January, time for renewal! This morning I’ve read three
articles in the New York Times dealing with three areas where I’m always
looking for renewal: time management, diet and exercise. They were motivational
and they suggested ideas that would work! Resolutions and time management,
healthy eating, and
getting to the gym,
if you want to check them out for yourself.)
For me though, the issues seem to be different, in that I
have that elusive treasure, time. There
are benefits to reaching a certain age and letting go of the 9 to 5 world, and
benefits as well to having a spouse who took on the task of financial support
and retired able to keep those commitments.
But without stress or money woes to motivate me, what makes me get up in
the morning?
For the past year, I’ve struggled with that. There were days that I slept until noon,
because I didn’t need to be up before dawn to do anything. A year.
A whole year just blowing in the breeze. Now here, January 11, 2016, not
the first, I realize that if I don’t figure it out, I’ll wake up closer to dead
than ever before (isn’t that every single morning? The cause of death is, after all, life.) So I
need to figure out what I want to leave behind and how I want to spend the time
I have. I am not ready, it seems to roll
over and wait life out.
It’s easier to know what I don’t want to leave behind, and
easier to address that, though most of it makes me want to run and do anything
else. Getting rid of all the skeletons in my figurative closets. Going through
my files and disposing of the work that I’ve grown beyond. Throwing away broken toys from when my
children (in their late 20s and early 30s now,) have left behind. Even moving out of the huge family home to
something more fun and manageable.
But honestly, that’s just stuff. What do I want to do next? When I pose this question to my inner psyche,
ask it, what is important to you? I came
up with a few answers.
1. My family. Maybe
that goes without saying, having devoted the last 30+ years in that direction,
but I really do love them and am delighted when I can spend time with them or
help them out. So I’ll keep that.
2. My freedom. That
includes the ability to write, the ability to move around freely, the ability
to say and do as I genuinely want. Stays
in the “keep” pile.
3. My curiosity. A
long time ago someone coined the term “life long learner.” Truth be told I’m happiest when I’m learning,
whether that be following links on the internet, or traveling. I love classes. I keep signing up for ones that are a bit of
a hoop jump to get to, but I make it. So
I’ll officially recognize this and find more.
4. My health. This
sounds like one of those things I’m supposed to write down on lists like this,
but when I can’t sleep because something hurts, or I can’t climb that next
mountain because my knees ache, the other things that are important to me get
pushed aside. It takes so little effort
to be healthy… half an hour a day moving and eating things that aren’t junk. I don’t have to treat my body like the low
man on the totem pole. And I can enjoy this process so long as I don’t get
crazy. Walk the dogs, not run
marathons. Just not my aspiration.
So that’s where my focus will be in 2016. Not specific
resolutions, though I’d like to do those too, because it helps me satisfy the
inner list crosser offer…and because it is good to have short-term goals to
measure long-term success. That will be my next task.
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| Gratuitous Dog Photo |
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