July 1 marks the halfway point of the year. And this year in particular, The Year the Virus Stole My Job/Graduation/Sanity/Fill-In-The-Blank, is one that many of us just wish we could Do Over.
But the toothpaste is already squeezed out of the tube and there ain’t no way to get it back in, short of toothpaste tube surgery. That sounds messy, sticky and without guaranteed results. Might as well regroup and figure out a new container or use for the toothpaste.
I am a person who likes to make resolutions at the beginning of the year (yes, I’m one of THOSE people), but I also know that without periodic review and re-engagement, I can lose focus. An auspicious date like July 1 – not just Canada Day (yay!), but 6 months from and to January 1 – is a perfect time to re-resolute.
I have kept a journal for many years now and I noticed a pattern a few years back – I often return to the same resolutions year after year. Most resolutions for me are not One-and-Done or else they wouldn’t be a recurring phenomenon. Maybe it would be better to call them Intentions. Or even Reminders. Re-Minding is all about getting your mind right again.
These are a few of the things I see as good things to remind myself.
Drink more water. Such an inane resolution really, but for me, I need to remind myself to not just drink my black water (a.k.a. My Beloved Coffee) but to intersperse my cups of java with cups of the clear stuff.
Quit eating crap. Well, not so much of it anyway. I don’t subscribe to an austere diet – although a reset like The Whole 30 once in a while doesn’t hurt. But coming through COVID-19, a.k.a. The Great Global Baking Challenge, it’s good to get back to soups and salads for lunch. And thankfully, fresh garden produce is just around the corner for extra incentive and general yumminess.
Move. Everyday. The older I get, the more thankful I am for the ability to move my body. Some days I do hard stuff like my boot camp class. Some days I just go for a walk or vacuum the house. I set timers to make myself get up from my desk and stretch, look out the window, refocus my eyes, get a glass of water. And I try everyday to go outside, which seems to require and inspire movement in and of itself. For an Indoorsy Girl, this is a miracle and a revelation that I can enjoy being outside (almost) everyday.
Keep in Touch. Along with Indoorsy Girl, I am also Introvert Girl. However, introversion is not the same as Doesn’t Need People. The pandemic introduced me to the Walk-And-Talk – talking to a friend on my cell while we both walked in our respective locations. Normally, I don’t like talking on the phone, but since this was the best option available, it became Okay. And even though I had some of my family around me 24-7 for the intense six weeks of quarantine, I was reminded how much I miss actually seeing people, talking to them in person, hugging them. Most of the hugging is still on hold but I do make sure that I break up my working-at-home-weekdays with at least one In-Person-Friend-Date. It’s always good.
Start Something. Keep Going. Finish Something. I always have some project I’m working on. In the past it has been more hobby-related like scrapbooking or organizing (anything, I like organizing ANYTHING). These days, I’m trying to focus on writing. I have one project I want to finish by the end of the year, one I want to keep going on and one I want to launch. Deadlines (as my husband reminds me) are a good thing. They keep you honest and help you GET STUFF DONE. If it’s important, you need to set aside the time to do it. And for me, my writing projects, are IMPORTANT. And if I keep doing the small and simple stuff above, it will give me the energy and the sanity to stick to my bigger intentions.
What’s on your Redeem-the-Rest-of-2020 list?