Doing the Doable - A New Year's Revolution

"I never do the New Year's Resolution thing. I kind of just try to stay focused, not get too sidetracked and do the best I can. And that's something I like to tell myself every year around New Year's." ~ Cameron Monaghan

"The First step in getting the things that you want out of life is this: Decide what you want." ~ Ben Stein 

It's January 5th as I put pen to paper on the first draft of this narrative and thankfully I've so far failed only one of my New Year's resolutions. Last night when my wife called and suggested she could pick up a fast-food dinner of empty calories, fat, crap and carbs on the way home from work I acquiesced. My resolution to be more fun, spontaneous, positive and less critical collided with it's sister commitment to eat healthier.

Can't we all just get along?!

So there I sat eating a meal with my family, the fun spouse and dad, less judgmental perhaps but certainly more bloated, anticipating gastrointestinal distress in my morning-after future.

This prognostication by mastication was not a result of those evil projectionists I can so easily conjure in my theater of the negative. I had a gut feeling I'd pay for this. I was right.

Tuesday morning reminded me why I had decided on this second of two resolutions for 2016. My body was asking, "Are you serious - four days?"

I knew the early relapse could be rectified. My first resolution to be more positive about life and less critical (read happy) told me this was so. I didn't have to beat myself up for such a human stumble.

"It's OK," I told myself.

My past New Year's resolutions have ranged from making no resolutions (the angry-obstinate resolutionary - sic) to the impossible (the self-defeating resolutionary). Each year I would make a conscious decision to remain stagnant or establish a pathway to failure. Either way self improvement would be impossible.

I've experienced too much to continue in this way. Many of us have.

This year I have committed to a journey of The Doable as I travel along a road to a better, happier, more fulfilled and present life.

It's not like doable is easy. My recent journey along the path to completing my first half marathon taught me this. This can become exhilarating, empowering while at the same time intimidating.

Did I say intimidating?

Oh my god! If my goals are reachable, seemingly small and insignificant, not game changers but game starters, I might be successful! Success, happiness, growth along our pathways are scary concepts for those of us unaccustomed to even articulating these hopes.

Remember, Success is NOT spelled with a "k".

I'm not referring to success measured in monetary gain though this may be an outcome of our many victories. In my case as I have embarked upon this new 366 day journey in this leap year 2016, success will simply be measured by the accomplishment of my two goals, MOST of the time. The rest I must believe will follow.

It is a revolutionary concept, at least for this traveller.

I have made a decision to eat healthier (positive) as opposed to avoidance of my nemeses - chips, beer, ice cream (negative).

I have committed to share with a smile my gratitude for life with anyone who will embrace with me this gift from our Great Creator. Through the power of gratitude I hope to soften my heart by eliminating the time wasters - judgement, anger, isolation. The time wasters can be exhausting, a drain on my finite resources of energy, talent and time I have been given to share with the world.

These are my doable goals for 2016, my New Year's Revolutions.

This year we can all bring a bit of anarchy to our new year by making our goals, hopes and dreams attainable and affirming. Imagine that!

2016 is looking pretty good right now!

... keep coming back

"When the solution is simple, God is answering." ~ Albert Einstein

"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." ~ Michael Altshuler