The first week of January is the longest, coldest, and
loneliest seven days of the year.
While we tell ourselves the early days of the new year are
perfect for making new starts, resolving to change bad habits,
and setting goals for the next 12 months, let's get real and
admit this is the best time of the year to roll up in the fetal
position and take a time-out from the world around us.
We've all spent the previous weeks eating, drinking and making
merry. Now we are bloated, broke, and bored with our Christmas
gifts. It is hard to be optimistic about the future when the
sun sets before we get home from work.
Let's table plans for perfection until Monday, Jan.7 when the
holidays are officially over.
If you haven't made any New Year's Resolutions yet, you have my
permission to wait until Monday to resolve to stop smoking,
drinking and pigging out.
Take this weekend off. Think about the good things you did in
2007.
One of my goals last January was to learn about new technology
and new media. I bought a digital camera, a laptop computer,
and a cell phone. I learned how to use them, and I took a
course on e-journalism online from Loyalist College in
Belleville. I don't feel like a dinosaur anymore.
I wasn't as successful with my other goals, so they are going
on my 2008 list. It turns out the things I would like to change
about myself are pretty well the same things everyone wants to
change: 1) lose weight, exercise more; 2) stick to a budget and
reduce debt.
I also resolve in 2008 to enjoy life more, stop sweating the
small stuff, and live a simpler, less cluttered life.
Every new year I make an attempt to become better organized,
and I can report I have made some progress in this area.
I also resolve year after year to read more books and watch
less television. The only one way to be successful at this is
to pull the plug and go cold turkey. I can't seem to bring
myself to doing this yet.
Other top goals for North Americans include quitting smoking,
finding a life partner, spending more time with family, looking
for a new job, and giving some time to volunteering.
Monday is the first day of the rest of your life. Good luck on
your attempts at self-improvement.
Keep your goals reasonable, and remember if you fall back into
your old habits, you can start over the next day.
Vicki Gilhula is the managing editor of Northern Life.
