I've always had a mixed relationship with New Years resolutions. On the one hand, it seems silly to only re-evaluate once a year, make some goals and then inevitably forget them by March. On the other hand, there is a natural pull to take a look at your life. After all, the number at the end of the date is changing, and is a very real, very tangible reminder of the passage of time. Plus, unless you live in a cave, it's almost impossible to ignore the self-reinvention propaganda hurling itself at you from every direction. On that note, did you know that January is the biggest self-help book sales month of the year?
Typically, my goals are more of the big, crazy dream variety: appear on Oprah, write a New York Times bestseller, allow the six-pack I know is in there to emerge, and meet Ryan Reynolds. While there is clearly nothing wrong with big, crazy goals, they're not exactly practical.
Since Oprah failed to call me the second my book came out (shocking, I know), I've managed to incorporate some practicality into my New Years resolutions over the last couple years, namely in the form of trying something new that freaks me out. The logic was that if I force myself into situations where I'm forced to grow as a person (by surviving something I was scared of), then I'll *actually* grow as a person.
The choice last year was scuba diving - while I'm very at home in the water, my ridiculous fear of sharks and the thought of running out of air totally and completely freaked me out. So, I signed up for a certification class. I got through it without losing any limbs or air, (which was great) and learned that my fears were totally unfounded. I try to remember this whenever I'm confronted with something I'm not comfortable with, and have been able to gain a lot of strength from it.
Maybe you're not afraid of anything and already know that you can do whatever you want to do. If this is the case, well done. You're awesome. If, however, you're more like me and have any number of things you're freaked out about, I highly recommend pushing yourself out of your cozy zone and into the cold. You'll be pleasantly surprised as the results.
PS - This year I'm going to try cross-country skiing. It sounds hard, and I've heard there are bears and cougars to worry about. :-)
Yours outside the comfort zone,
S
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