Looking Forward: Be It Resolved.

Shoko Wanger

Here’s a confession: prior to this year, I don’t think I’ve once kept a New Year’s resolution. The problem? I’m a list maker by habit, and have a history  of making dozens of resolutions at a time. Inevitably, as months pass, they fall by the wayside, one by one. I forget about them. Or I change my mind—walking to the subway in the mornings is more than enough exercise for one day, right? Is it really necessary to add running to the mix, too?

Another hitch? Getting too specific. Turns out, sometimes I’m just not in the mood to read the one book I found most interesting at the beginning of the year. Sometimes the destination I daydream about in January sounds downright dreary in July.

This year, while I couldn’t break the list-making habit (I think I’m stuck with that for life), I made a conscious effort to set broader, more flexible goals. In January, I posted on my blog that I wanted to prioritize health and happiness. This meant meditating, (or trying to). Taking classes, but allowing my intuition to choose which. Embracing quirkiness. Eating well, but indulging every now and then. Not surprisingly, I’ve been much more successful with these. They’re more like reminders than concrete goals, and I like that.

Last week, when June 1st rolled around, it occurred to me that six months had passed since New Year’s, and I wondered, do people ever make mid-year resolutions? In a way, isn’t this an ideal time to assess what the year’s been like thus far? To have a resolution refresher? To make amendments?

It seems that way to me, and in the spirit of kicking off the second half of 2012 on a positive note, I’m going to add one more goal to my original list. In the next six months—and over the summer, especially—I’d like to push myself to engage more with the city I live in. In terms of music, art, and culture, New York has so much to offer. And yet, I see maybe two or three concerts per year. I can’t remember the last time I visited Lincoln Center. I’ve never been to the Met. It’s shameful, really. As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t know how long I’ll call this city home—I may as well enjoy it as much as I can while I’m here.

I’m reasonably confident this is a goal I can stick to, and one that I’ll have fun with. The fact that it’s not one of twenty on a long list of resolutions helps, too. (Though it’s hard to resist—I’d also love to do more yoga, take a trip upstate, read more of the classics, and learn to ride a bike.)

But, I digress. What do you think? What, if any, mid-year resolutions would you make?

Jun 5, 2012

Inward Explorations / 14 Comments