New Year’s Resolution
With the old year ending and the new year about to begin, it’s time for me to start thinking about that New Year’s Resolution. While fully aware that I seldom make it past mid-January with the resolution intact, here I am, considering doing it all over again.
I have made resolutions like drinking only on special occasions, losing weight, running a marathon, and voicing my thoughts only if they are kind. None of those stuck. Only once has my failure to keep my resolution not really been within my control.
A couple of years ago, I resolved to get more fit. I was very specific about what steps I would take. I’d walk at least a mile per day (outdoors or on my treadmill) and I’d work out three days or more per week (yoga, pilates, or boot camp). That resolution lasted nine days. On Day 10, I used a chair instead of a step ladder to do some minor household maintenance. When I stepped off the chair, I placed my foot poorly, rolled my ankle, and broke a bone in my foot, requiring surgery and two screws in the bone to repair the damage. So much for walking a mile per day. And all the other forms of exercise I had planned. All my exercise took the form of getting from Point A to Point B and caring for myself. I did lose 14 pounds over the next six weeks, but it was due to being too lazy to drag myself to the kitchen when I wanted a snack and not due to being in great physical shape.
I have made it through the entire year with my resolution kept twice. Twice out of probably more than 40 years that I actually made a resolution. Both had to do with food.
The first time, about 25 years ago, I resolved to follow the recipe exactly each time I tried a new recipe. I love trying new recipes, and often checked out books from the library to try out different cuisines. I had a real problem sticking to the printed recipe, however. Results often were not what I wanted as a consequence of messing with the instructions and ingredients. Over the course of the year, I tried 30-40 new recipes, following the ingredients and preparation instructions exactly. By keeping my resolution, I discovered several recipes that became new favorites and I became more adventurous with spices and ingredients.
The second time I kept my resolution was very similar. Three years ago, I resolved to try a new recipe each month. I had been in a rut, cooking the same dishes I had been cooking for years over and over again. I solicited recipes from Facebook friends and posted pictures and comments about the food I made each month. It was fun, and I discovered a couple more new recipes to add to my collection. My Facebook friends occasionally suggest that I do the same thing again, and I may. I still like trying new recipes, and my daughter keeps me supplied with recipes from Hello Fresh that help keep me experimenting, but I haven’t put myself on a schedule. I suspect that I’m trying a new recipe two or three times per month.
This year, I think I’ll resolve not to get a single haircut in 2026. Just before Christmas 2024, I got my hair cut very short after a solid week of bad hair days. By “very short”, I mean that parts of it required the stylist to use a razor. The longest locks were less than two inches long. My ears got cold! I haven’t been able to grow my hair out more than a couple inches since then. That awkward in-between stage is hard to get past and I run off to get a haircut time and time again. The only way I’ll ever grow my hair past that awful stage is if I leave it alone and exercise some patience. Wish me luck.