Saturday, December 31, 2011

2012 REVolutions: THE LIST

Every New Year’s Eve, I try to carve out a little bit of time to sit down and write out my New Year’s resolutions. This is not always easy to do, and this year is no exception. I have already been reminded that the laundry needs to be switched from the washer to the dryer, the dog has to be fed and walked, and we have to leave in an hour for the UCONN Huskies game. A woman’s work is never done …

Fortunately, I’ve been working on the list in my head for several weeks now. And I've jotted down a few lines here and there over the past two days. So it didn’t take too long to solidify it.

The hardest thing for me this year was melding my various, rather haphazard goals into a single, logical list. Yesterday I heard a radio show discussing one of the popular chef challenges: taking three random ingredients and creating a tasty meal out of them in just 20 minutes. I can relate.

My three “random ingredients” were:
  • 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge (http://www.read52booksin52weeks.com/p/about-52-books.html), which I’ve wanted to participate in ever since I heard about it
  • The monthly REVolutions I introduced in my first “Occupy North Street” blog post
  •  The general, more common resolution-type goals most of us are familiar with (i.e., eat better, exercise more, keep the house cleaner, etc.)
Molding the three together meant getting rid of the template of prior years’ goals and creating a new one. It also meant that, for the first time, I would not be starting every single goal on January 1. Definitely a good thing! (Whose idea was it anyway to start positive goals in the middle of the dreariest, most enervating time of the year?) In effect, this year I will be making REVolutions every month instead of just at the beginning of the year. More doable? Only time will tell.

At first I tried to assign each goal to a specific category in its corresponding month. But there were some things I wanted to start right away. And there were a few stragglers that couldn’t be neatly categorized. So I decided to start out the new year with the all-encompassing “PERSONAL GROWTH” category, in which I was able to dump all the miscellaneous stuff, including the books and the blogging. I even have a vague notion that I might be able to tie in the contents of my books into whichever aspect of my life I’m working on. (Though my penchant for true crime might prove difficult to put a happy face on.)

So without further ado – and because it’s time to get dressed for the game – here is my list of 2012 REVolutions:


JANUARY: PERSONAL GROWTH
  •  New blog
  • 52 Books in 52 Weeks
  •  Rededicate myself to FlyLady methods
  • Discover-a-town (more on this later …)
  • More laughter!
  •  More music!
  •  Improve prayer/meditation practice

FEBRUARY: SPIRITUALITY

MARCH: WORK AND CAREER

APRIL: FOOD

MAY: HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT

JUNE: HEALTH AND FITNESS

JULY: LEISURE ACTIVITIES

AUGUST: RELATIONSHIPS

SEPTEMBER: PERSONAL STYLE

OCTOBER: ENTERTAINMENT

NOVEMBER: LIFELONG LEARNING

DECEMBER: TRADITIONS

I invite you to share your list of REVolutions here or on Facebook, and to comment, question or criticize mine!

Happy New Year to all!



Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Occupy North Street: The Revolution Starts at Home



First let me start by saying that this blog has nothing to do with politics. There will be enough of that in 2012 from those better predisposed to handle it, so there’s no sense in my jumping into the fray. Second,  the name of the blog should in no way sway you toward believing that I share all the sentiments of the OWS crowd. Maybe I do and maybe I don’t. (And maybe if I knew what they actually stood for, it would be easier for me to decide.) No, I chose this title because I believe in revolution. The kind that starts at home. With little changes that create a ripple effect and have the potential to become huge … in time.

Revolutionary changes can come in many shapes and forms. From how we dress and eat and shop and exercise, to what we books we read, what TV shows and movies we watch, which websites we visit, what social networks we contribute to and how many times we smile at other people each day. From outward changes that everyone notices to those all-important “inside jobs.” And from how much importance we place on our family, our friends, our spirituality, our work and our hobbies vs. how much attention we pay to things that are external, frivolous, foolish and fleeting.

So this year, instead of making New Year’s RESolutions, I’m making New Year’s REVolutions. 



Inspired in part by Gretchen Rubin’s “The Happiness Project,” https://www.facebook.com/GretchenRubin and because it just makes logical sense, I will explore revolutionizing different aspects of my life each month. So far I’m planning to explore spirituality, relationships, leisure activities, household management, personal style, work and career, food, entertainment and traditions.  (That leaves room for three more areas, which I’m hoping my readers will help me determine!)

Every month, I’ll devote a specified amount of time to each of five different phases:

  • Investigate (assemble as much info as I can on the subject)
  • Inquire (find out how others have done what I’m attempting to do)
  • Implement (start the revolution!)
  • Innovate (tweak the results)
  • Is it working? (examine the experience)

Blogging will be a big part of the revolution, and will also require a certain degree of discipline (which is a bit of a revolution in itself, I think). So I’ve set a goal of at least two blog posts a week throughout 2012.

Finally, few revolutions have ever succeeded with only a single participant. So I invite you to join me in creating your own New Year’s REVolutions and sharing your experiences by commenting on my blog http://occupynorthstreet.blogspot.com/ or on my Occupy North Street Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Occupy-North-Street-New-Years-REVolutions/194398877321035?sk=wall

Care to join me? The journey begins January 1!