In case you haven’t noticed, or are too caught up with the joys and sorrows of everyday life, more than half of 2014 has passed.
Yikes!
I’ll pause here for a moment to let that sink in.
Yup that’s right, we are now closer to Christmas than we were to the 2014 New Year celebration. How has time slipped past our fingers in such an effortless manner? There are still days when I wake up and think that the year is 2013. But it won’t be much longer till we have to write the word “2015” whenever we fill in forms.
Not only that, it’ll be time to make yet another set of New Year resolutions.
We constantly make long lists of resolutions on 1 January, then discard them just as quickly as we made them. Why are resolutions so impossibly hard to keep? I think a big factor is based on how long we think a year is. 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, it seems like a very long time to be going to the gym, or a long time to learn the guitar. We’ll think, oh there’s always tomorrow to start on it.
We have plenty of time, we’ll get it started tomorrow, or next week maybe. Things just get in the way, and we have other commitments to attend to. So we think we can slack off or do it later. This just snowballs and before we know it, 1 January is upon us again. And it’s time to make that resolution. Again.
At the beginning of this year, my editor handed out sheets of paper and asked us to write down what we’d like to accomplish throughout the year. I wrote down that I’d like to learn the ukulele. I first got the idea of learning it from this video: Josh Kaufman demonstrates how 20 hours is enough to learn something in it’s most basic level. Case in point, the ukulele.
Learning an instrument is never quite easy, but the feeling of accomplishment certainly makes the time and effort worthwhile.
If only I could actually bother to pick up the ukulele, that is.
Half of 2014 has gone, and the only time I ever picked up a ukulele this year was to half-heartedly attempt to strum it.
In the back of my mind, I keep thinking, there’s always tomorrow. There’s always another time. I’d like to watch this YouTube video now. I’d like to go swimming instead.
And just like that, 8 months has flown by. There’s less than 4 months till Christmas and the beginning of yet another year.
Did you do the same? What were your New Year resolutions and what did you do about them?
Rather than moaning about it, I can look on the bright side. 4 months is a long time to accomplish a lot of things. Here’s what we can start doing to make the best of the rest of 2014 (dang, that nearly rhymed):
1. Spring clean.
Spring cleaning helps to declutter not just our space, but our mind. But the end of the year may not necessarily be the best time to spring clean. After the parties and celebrations, after the bubbly, and after the reminiscing of old times, it’s hard to get in the mood to throw things out when all you want to do is hold on to the memories. That’s why now is a great time to crack open the cupboards and dump out bits and pieces that don’t belong in your life any more. We are constantly burdened by material things that we can’t bear to let go, but it is amazing to see and feel the difference once the clutter is gone.
2. Review New Year Resolutions.
Again, the best time to review New Year Resolutions isn’t at the end of the year, where guilt has caught up because you feel you haven’t done enough. Half a year is a fairly good time to examine the resolutions you made, whether it is exercising more, living healthier or learning a new instrument. This can also help you to get back on track with your plans.
Time for me to finally pick up that ukulele!
3. Make better Mid-Year Resolutions.
Sometimes resolutions are just too vague. What does exercising more mean? Does it mean running every day after work, or does it mean going swimming twice a week? Tweak resolutions into set goals so that they are achievable.
Personally for me, I’ve changed my resolution from:
Exercise more.
To:
Go for yoga classes twice a week and pick up gymnastics.
I feel much better now because I know I have a specific goal. Can’t wait!
4. Reward yourself.
Resolutions are not to be feared. They are goals in our lives, and when a goal is met or being met, success should be celebrated. With that being said, please don’t celebrate by undoing every single bit of work you’ve already done, like indulging in an extra large piece of chocolate cake after a week of cycling. Moderation is key.
Resolutions aren’t something to shy away from, but maybe we just haven’t been making them at the right time.
Question: How are your New Year Resolutions going? Have you made new Mid Year Resolutions? Share them with me down below!
– Fari Wu
Fari Wu Old 