WTF, January

Pardon my language but what the actual frick, January?! I thought it was just me who felt like this month dragged on and on and on but given the number of memes popping up about how January lasted for 5 months, "30 days has September, April --- all the rest have 31 except January which has 95", companies offering promotions for "surviving January" --it's not just me!! Also, man, 30 Rock was a great show.

 

So why did January feel so awful and long? Yes, it has a bonus day, a few actually if you compare it to February. And yes it's dark and cold but we're past the shortest day of the year and on the up and up! January had New Year's, returns from the holiday and therefore short work weeks. It had routines and ambitions and resolutions. And it also had over-estimation, over-commitment and over-work written all over it.

Maybe we get so focused on improving ourselves and changing ourselves, doing all these new things, we get lost along the way. In trying to start the year off well, we actually start it off overwhelming ourselves. And even if we're past the shortest day of the year, it's still dark most of the time and when it's not, we're stuck at work. And it's still cold and rainy in London or the US (well, dark and snowy and cold af). We didn't have to fix it all in 31 days but it certainly felt like it sometimes. 

 

So as we enter February where we have a groundhog tell us whether winter will be longer than usual, another set-expectations-too-high-holiday (Valentine's Day), and loads of chocolate to comfort us as a result, just remember that in a short bit we'll be in March (#birthdaymonth) and that much closer to spring (and a holiday devoted to drinking which is far better than devoted to cheesy romance). So what did we learn from January? Be kind to yourself, don't over-commit (I say this as I currently have 0 free nights for two weeks), and remember you've got people to lift you up who also feel like January lasted forever.

Of course there were moments of joy last month but if I were to Marie Kondo it and pick up the month of January and ask myself "do you spark joy?" it would be a hard pass from me. Thank you for your service, bring on February.

2019 Resolutions: Presence

This isn't the first time (or likely the last time) there has been a dark age for this blog. When something, anything, starts to feel more like an obligation than a choice: red flag. If something doesn't bring you joy: red flag. If no one notices your blog has been taken down for months until your sister starts her own blog and suddenly everyone remembers you did that thing once too: just lol and move on.

I've posted on resolutions before (see 2018 and 2016 -- guess I skipped out on 2017) and there are mixed opinions about resolutions, especially as we get older. Some people think that it's a good way to set an unachievable goal and sets you up for failure in the first quarter of the year. Others feel if you really want something or to try something new or change a habit, just do it when you think of it rather than waiting for January 1st. But I think New Year's is a chance to look back on your year, how far you've come, who has been there along the way and think about what the next year holds.

Social media can be challenging at the best of times but do you really need it to tell you what your year was like through things like Best Nine (the top Instagram photos solely based on number of likes received) or Facebook video (similar premise, how much interaction you had online)? I'm a hypocrite, I love the Best Nine but I'm also a data person so love the numbers. Regardless, take a minute to see what sticks out about this year: football almost came home! It was a long, hot summer to remember! I can do crow pose in yoga! New countries were explored! The governments of the world went cray!

 

For 2019, my resolution, in a word: Presence. Remain in the present, in the moment. Check my phone less, ignore the tick to scroll mindlessly through Instagram when someone gets up from the table. Focus less on the future and more on the here and now.

 

I have a tendency to worry which is really just a kind way to say I get anxious. I've worked hard to get past the 'should' thinking: where I 'should' be in life, what I 'should' be doing based on someone else's expectations but I still [over]think about what my future holds. Am I doing what I need to be doing? (See how I just replaced "should" with "need"? Work in progress). Am I on the right path? (Right path meaning right path for me, not society's appointed path but if it's my path, why do I need to know what it is rather than just be on it?).

That's not to say I don't also have a [short] list of things I'm looking to do in 2019 but they will just add to the adventure, not define it.

Happy New Year!

2016 Boldnesses

I've heard there are only two things that are sure in life: death and taxes. I disagree. There are other things you can be sure of like the gym will be packed the first week of January, everyone will be posting about how wonderful their year was in 2015 and how much they're going to change in 2016. You can also be sure that bloggers such as myself will post plans for 2016 (just like I did in 2013 and 2014 and 2015). So maybe there's a little more certainty in life besides just death and taxes.

In the past, I've focused my blog resolutions on food things because this is a food blog and while I do have some thoughts on what to do more of in the kitchen, I've been thinking a lot lately about what I want to achieve as a person. Not necessarily, be healthier or swear less but being more open and kind. You'll see, I'll be a bonafide Disney princess by this time next year.

I didn't want to entitle this so much as "resolutions" because it's not a problem to fix, just some things I want to be mindful of (and in some cases achieve). But looking for synonyms for "resolutions" resulted in the word "boldness". So we're going with boldnesses.

In the Kitchen

• Bread- This has never really worked out for me, rolls don't rise, pizza dough remains the same size hour after hour. But this year, I will conquer this whole dough rising thing!

• Crockpot- I used my crockpot a fair amount in year's past but it's been gathering dust in my kitchen cabinet for some time now. This is also an effort to be better with weekly meal prep so I can crockpot one thing while cooking another.

• Pasta- I took a pasta making class last year in London and was like "yes, I'm going to make fresh pasta from now on!". I even got a ravioli press but have never made pasta since. On the bucket list.

 

In the Daily Life

• Unsubscribe- Coincidentally, this was a goal last year too but I still find myself deleting dozens of GroupOn emails every day. No joke.

• Donate- I've read a lot about capsule wardrobes over the last few months. While I don't feel quite ready to commit to just 30 pieces of clothing, I do think I can pare down my closet.

• Volunteer- Generally looking for more activities that give back and involve other people and not just me and my cat.

• Print Photos- I swear I printed photos not that long ago but I can't find them. Even though we live in the digital age, I'm a fan of actual photo albums and scrapbooks. I've taken some great trips recently and I want to have a record! No big deal, just about 3 years of life to cover #nopressure. 

In the World

• Be Open-To new experiences, new opportunities and new people. I'm a pretty type-A person (shocker) so trying not to live within the lines or worry if I'm doing life 'right'. It's more about what's choosing a path that's 'right for me' than what would be considered 'right' overall.

• Observe Beauty- Pretty sure this is also a repeat thought but previously it was about taking an Instagram photo a day to note beauty. Perhaps not as important to record as to take a moment to note the good things in a day and not just the bad.

• Be Kind- Not to imply I'm a mean person, I don't think that at all but you know when you see your coworker's hair looks nice and you want to compliment them but you don't want to be weird? Just compliment them, you would appreciate it (and no, if someone says it to you it does not mean that all other days your hair looks bad). Also, being kind to myself. We are far tougher on ourselves and more critical than most people are to you.

 

Whatever your boldnesses are (or aren't), I wish you a Happy New Year and welcome you to join the ride!