I’ve been thinking about the coming year, and trying to come up with some good resolutions. It seems like resolutions should be made. Really, it does, doesn’t it?
I can think of a lot of things I could or should make resolutions about–things like working on being a better person, being a better husband and father and son and brother and friend. But that all goes without saying, and doesn’t seem to really be quantifiable. As a member in somewhat good standing of Corporate America/Earth, it seems to me that a good resolution should be measurable as well as be something that makes a difference to you. In this light, I don’t think work-related things are going to fit into my resolutions because they already get measured like mad and I already know I’m going to work on them because outside forces will make sure I do. A good personal resolution should be something that you control, at least to a reasonable degree.
Not that all those other things aren’t good things to be doing. I have every intention of trying to be a better person and be my best at the day job.
In addition, I think good resolutions have several other traits. A good resolution is fairly simple. A good resolution leads to good habits, or at least habits that you actually want to form. I also think there should not be too many of them, lest they get bogged down in the mire. And so, after thinking things through, and after deciding that three is the magic number, here are my stated resolutions for 2013.
#1 – Write new words of fiction every day
#2 – Average 20,000 steps a day
#3 – Read a new short story every day
I chose these three things because if I am successful in achieving them, I expect other good things to result. It’s possible they won’t of course. And if they don’t, well, that would be a bummer. But you work hard, and you control what you control. At that point things work out however they’re supposed to.
With that I’ll leave you to your New Year’s festivities.
Me?
Well, I’m off to spend the rest of the last day of the 2012 practicing for resolution #1 of 2013.