I’ve never been much for resolutions. I have a hard time making myself commit to anything I’m not sure I’ll still be into in six months. (There’s probably a metaphor in there.)

Generally, if I’m put on the spot, I’ll resolve to drink more water. This is easy and everyone could stand to do it, but I never actually do. Would my life be magically transformed if I’d finish off a few Nalgenes every day? Probably. 

This year, I am resolving to do more than stay hydrated and remember to take my daily multivitamin.

In terms of The World At Large, 2017 was a never-ending dumpster fire. It was bad. I’m sure a later post will address the need to take back some of those Congressional seats in 2018, but I’m making this particular post All About Me.

I accomplished a lot that I’m proud of in 2017. I quit my job to write full-time, and, though it was often touch-and-go, managed to make a living at it. I got bylines in a few national magazines I’d dreamed of being published in. I ran my first marathon. I climbed a very tall volcano.

I also worked a lot in 2017. I worked well beyond eight-hour days, often neglecting to eat or sleep or exercise or make conversation with Bix. I worked late at night and early in the morning and on weekends. I didn’t really take care of myself, and it showed.

I’ve had other periods in my life where I’ve worked a lot or even too much, which is tough for someone like me, who is constitutionally quite lazy. I worked too much when I was student teaching, and again in grad school. These periods are not sustainable, because soon I become an angry garbage person incapable of enjoying anything, and that’s not who I want to be.

So. I have no illusions that in 2018, I am suddenly going to set boundaries and stop working after 5pm, or that I’ll never spend a pleasant evening at home nervously refreshing my email. These things take time, I imagine.

Here’s what I will commit to doing:

I will take at least one trip where I do not check my email even one time. I will be completely unreachable.

For thirty minutes every weekday, I will do something that doesn’t feel like work.

I will walk my dog more. Not run or hike: walk. I bet it will feel good.

Once a month or so, I will say No to something I can’t or don’t want to do.

And, of course, I will drink more water.

[Featured Image: Bix Firer]