Resolutions

Hi.

It’s been almost a year since I blogged. My one and only post in 2019 was in January. This isn’t a post to excuse that or explain away why that was so, instead it is about 2020. The future. Now.

I’ve never been one for resolutions. I think they fail too often and make you feel bad about not succeeding at yet another thing in life. But then I saw a video that explained a lot to me. Veritasium’s, one of my favourite educational YouTube channels did a video about the science behind resolutions and tips on how to keep them, and it really resonated with me. Watch it below, then read on.

A few points stood out. Resolutions made for January 1st actually are statistically more likely to be met than ones made at any other time of the year. Don’t make big, sweeping changes, but instead small alterations that will grow to much more as you develop them into a new, ongoing habit. Honestly, the video covers everything, so if you’re reading this and you still haven’t watched, then go back and do that now. It’ll explain why my resolutions seem so inconsequential.

I’ve come up with four resolutions that I want to keep to. That seems like a lot in itself, but I honestly think they small enough to be manageable, but smart enough to grow into a life changing routine if I can just keep doing them. They are:

1. Drink one glass of water every day.

I drink a lot of fluids every day, but mostly in coffee, tea and the carbonated water drink Bubly. I’m not overly concerned about not getting fluids, but I do want to drink more water by itself. So one glass every day. I aim to try to get this done right at the start of each day, drinking it while the kettle boils for my morning coffee. Genius! Resolution 1.5 is to try to maintain a full water jug in the fridge, as it’s much easier choose that over a can of Bubly when I open the door and it’s there.

2. Draw a box every day.

I want to draw more, but instead of setting a goal to draw a full character or even a face, I’m just going to make sure I draw at least a box every day. And a 2D box, or “square”, counts, as long as it’s done with the intention of meeting this resolution. Obviously, I hope to commonly draw more, but I should be able to commit to and do something as simple as this, and once the routine is there, drawing more should come.

3. Write one sentence every day.

It doesn’t have to be poetry, it doesn’t have to be fancy, but I want to write more, and like the drawing one, this is how I’ll start. To accomplish both 2. and 3., I’ve pulled an unused notebook off my shelf and I’m going to keep it near me. I can draw and write in it at any time, but, along with the water, I hope to do it first thing in the morning. My mornings usually involve watching the night’s uploads on YouTube, so I’m confident I can take five minutes to draw and write one thing while I drink a glass of water. Also, blog posts count, so, no promises, but you might see more of me back here in 2020.

4. Read one book with the kids every week.

This is an odd one. I do read a lot with both my kids. I love when we read together, and I love how much they both enjoy books. This isn’t some huge change, as if before now I never read books with them, but I also know that too often, life can zip on by and it’s been a couple of weeks since I sat down and read something with them without any other distractions. I’m honestly hoping that this one evolves into “Read one new book with the kids every week”. But for now, I’m keeping it very simple.

So there we are. My resolutions. Purposefully very basic. I’ll update if I fail. I’ll update in a year if I succeed. But to kick things off, I’ve already drank a glass of water today, we read four books together on the couch this afternoon and I wrote this post this evening. As soon as I publish this, I’m off to christen that notebook with the first drawing, but also to note that I blogged, drank and read. I think I’ll use it to track my progress, though noting that will not count itself toward writing one sentence.

But while I have it open...