Adaptable New Year’s Resolutions

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It’s January 23rd and I may have finalized my New Year’s resolutions. Maybe.

No, I’m not a slacker. True, I didn’t start thinking about my New Year’s goals until January 1st, when I jotted some thoughts down in a notebook. But those thoughts were were not etched in stone–on the contrary, they were illegibly penned onto partially recycled paper that will some day soon be recycled again.

This isn’t the first time that I’ve waited until the end of January to finalize my resolutions. I did it in both 2012 and 2013. And I rather like it.

January becomes my testing ground to try out my New Year’s goals. I experiment, and then ask, is this exercise goal realistic? Does implementing this writing goal make me happier? Does finishing a quilt help me achieve my big-picture goals?

I want to push myself with my goals, but I don’t want to be self-defeating. And so I experiment with my goals, toss some out, and choose a few more.

I won’t reach all of my 2014 goals. And I embrace that. I would like to finish the quilt that I said I would finish in 2013. But if it ends up on my 2015 goals list, so be it.

Quilt Blocks

To encourage myself to iron the quilt blocks, sew them together, and then finish the quilt, I’ve set the goal of finishing it in time to submit to the Arizona State Fair. Accountability and a deadline always help…

January may be my testing ground, but I like to make my resolutions adaptable enough that I can come back to them throughout the year, tweak them, modify them, make them better for me and where I’m at in life. Right now it’s realistic for me to take a long walk outside every day with my children–but in July, when it’s 110 degrees, I probably won’t be doing that, so I’ll revise my goal to keep myself active without dying of heat exhaustion.

Ultimately, my goals and resolutions exist to serve me, to make happier, healthier, more fulfilled, and moving towards becoming the person I’d really liked to be. For me, it’s impossible to truly fail at a New Year’s goal or resolution, as long as I’m able to learn from setbacks and willing to adapt for the future.

Christmas Gifts and Naked Barbies

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It’s easy to get caught up in consumerism at this time of year, and to put material possessions–both the giving and gaining of them–above everything else.

As a family, we made the decision that this would be a light Christmas. In part, it’s for the cost savings, but in part it’s a philosophical decision.

Yet even though we’ve made that decision, I find myself second guessing myself, thinking thoughts like: I know my husband said he didn’t need much, but what if I don’t get him much and he’s disappointed? Am I a bad parent if I’m only getting my child two or three small presents? But that’s really cute/awesome/perfect/doesn’t cost much…should I just go ahead and buy it?

We went to the thrift store a few days ago, and as I was walked down the aisles I saw this hilarious and terrible spectacle:

Thrift Store Barbies

Yes, that is at least 50 naked, semi-broken Barbie dolls.

My first thought was to laugh. And then as I kept looking at those naked Barbies, I realized it was a good reminder.

That is where all the presents I’m giving this year are going to end up. You give a present. It’s either used or not used, loved or not loved. But ultimately, it’ll end up at a thrift store, in a trash can, or shoved in the back of a closet.

There’s a lot of pressure that says you need to BUY, BUY, BUY! There’s pressure that says your house has to look a certain way, you have to make certain food, you have to do a certain number of activities. And all of it just adds stress.

And so this Christmas season, here’s a few things I’m going to do:

  1. Try not to compare myself to others. I always compare my negatives with other people’s positives, and when I compare myself to others, I always seem to come up short.
  2. Say many positive things to the people I love every single day. I find myself being too critical of the people around me, and it damages relationships and makes me feel bad as well. But when I’m positive, everyone is happier.
  3. Enjoy the little moments. It’s too easy to miss the beautiful things around me, or to take the time and energy to be grateful. But when I let myself enjoy the little things, I realize that they might actually be the most important things.

    Myra and blankets

    My daughter, excited about finding blankets in a museum.

  4. Think about the Savior. For me, that’s the real meaning of the season. And I’ll probably watch some videos to help get me in the mood. This one, “A Gift to the World,” is one of my favorites:

 

Talk Like Jane Austen Day: October 30th, 2013

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Talk Like Jane Austen Day Freebie

This is my first Talk Like Jane Austen Day. And I think I’m ready for it. 

Copy of the complete works of Jane Austen? Check.

Love for old, big words and talking in formal, complex sentences? Check.

Excited to go fangirl on an author who has been dead for almost 200 years? Check.

Liked the Talk Like Jane Austen Day Facebook page? Check. 

I could not resist, and I even put together a list of 5 tips for Talk Like Jane Austen Day:

Talk Like Jane Austen Day Button

Admit it, Talk Like Jane Austen Day is at least as cool as Talk Like a Pirate Day. And there are just as many fun, Jane Austen films to watch as there are pirate films.

Also, my Ignite Phoenix presentation on Jane Austen and Argument (or in other words, how to talk like Jane Austen) is now live on youtube. Conveniently, you can also watch it here:

Have an amazing Jane Austen-inspired holiday. Maybe your boss will even let you take the day off.

Ignite Phoenix, Austenland Review, and General Austenness

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Today’s post is on all things Jane Austen. First, my Ignite Phoenix presentation, second, a bunch of Jane Austen pages I added to my website, and third, an Austenland review.

Ignite Phoenix

Friday, October 18th, I’m presenting at Ignite Phoenix on Pride and Prejudice: Jane Austen and the Art of Argument. There are presentations on everything from race car driving to NASA launches to hitchhiking–it’ll be a few hours of action-packed, 5-minute presentations. If you weren’t able to get tickets (or don’t live in Phoenix) you can watch the livestream (details here). It starts at 6:30 p.m. in Arizona (same time as California, for the moment).

Have I mentioned that I’m excited? Or that I made amazing bookmarks to hand out at the After Party?

Jane Austen Bookmarks

New Website Section: Jane Austenness

I went a little crazy and decided to create a bunch of new pages for my website, all about Jane Austen love. You know you want to read them:

Talk Like Jane Austen Day Button Jane Austen Fandom, Statues, and Websites ButtonGet the Books Button Argument in Pride and Prejudice Button

Austenland Review

Austenland

Have you ever wished you could just step in one of your favorite books and live there for a while? That’s the premise of Austenland–a thirty something single woman decides to spend her whole savings to go to an Austen theme park, where she gets to dress and act like a Jane Austen character for a several week period. This is a hilarious film on love, literature, and finding happiness wherever you are. I could not stop laughing, and I really want to see this movie again soon.

Anyone who likes Jane Austen loves this movie. To my family: I want a DVD copy as soon as it comes out–it would make a great gift, hint, hint.

Austenland was an independent film, made on a small budget (though you can’t tell from the film itself) and after premiering at Sundance Film Festival it was picked up by Sony. As such, it’s had a limited theatrical release, but it’s still playing in theaters across the US, and if you like Jane Austen, it’s worth a 20 or 30 minute drive to see. Google Austenland for showtimes near you or visit this website.

Kathy’s Rules for Writing, #17: On Angry Emails

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Angry Face

Step 1

If you are angry, frustrated, or upset, write a nasty email. Let all your angst come out. Cry a little on the keyboard in frustration. Go beat up a pillow but don’t actually break things. Save your draft in which you tell everyone exactly what you think.

Step 1b (provided by my friend Jessica Brown):

Do not, under any circumstances, write in the recipient’s address on the angry email, lest the “send” button be accidentally pushed.

Step 2

Wait at least 30 minutes.

Step 3

Delete your email draft. Write a new email in which you considerately, objectively raise issues and an awareness of a problem. Reread to make sure no anger or frustration leaked through. Ask yourself: does this get out my anger, or will it help accomplish my real objectives? If it will help accomplish your real objectives, click send.

Not that I’ve been writing any angry emails lately…

 

Image Credit: Jared Wong with Creative Commons license