Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Wishes versus Resolutions...


Leo Babauta is an inspiring blogger I discovered quite by accident one day when I typed 'how to be a domestic goddess' into Google. (Sigh) Embarrassing to admit, but it has been many years since that has bothered me. Anyway, the long and the short of it is that his blog, Zen Habits, has completely demolished my devout belief that New Year's resolutions are nothing more than a sad old cliche, with his latest blog entry.
Despite the very Buddhist vibe in the blog title, the concepts covered are decidedly not New Age, but extremely practical and digestible, unlike so much of the opaque 'crystals 'n yoga' literature out there. (Hope I haven't offended anyone?) Getting dressed after my nightly bath with my little girl, I discovered I had reached that point in my life's trajectory where I could simply not put on another post-baby/too-damn-cold-for-exercise/bored-so-let's-eat-shitloads-of-sugar kilogram. As much as I had tried to reconcile myself to 'be the size you are' and other such sloganised, self-loving beliefs, I have had days when I look at myself in photos and mirrors where I don't really like what I see. And besides that, there is my health to consider! (Yip, another cliche. But when you push all these cliches aside and find the reality you are looking for, it is both harsh and comforting. Like throwing open the curtains and windows to a gorgeously sunny morning after a night of way too much red wine.) Babauta's suggestion to take things extreeeeeemely slowly, and to let go: let go of EVERYTHING holding you back like past failures, fear of failures, blah blah blag... Well - it just makes so much sense. The clarity he paints through his simple suggestions is so different to anything else I've ever encountered in the 'help yourself' arena.
Anyway, part of what he suggests is making your resolutions PUBLIC. Ouch. But being accountable to more than just yourself makes it so much easier to make decisions on whether or not to gobble down too many McVities Chocolate Digestives for lunch instead of putting in a drop of elbow grease and making that healthy, wholewheat sarmie... that big glass of water or another glass of pinotage... And so, my friends, it is here that I very publicly declare that I am on a mission to love myself again! To not merely make an effort for others, but to look after myself too.
Wish me luck - and plenty of encouragement :)

3 comments:

Mandy said...

Zen Habits was the very, very first blog I ever followed looong before I became a blogger! I remember when Leo was able to leave his job and do blogging full time. He rocks!

Lisa said...

My mom is addicted to Zen Habits too now :) Did you read Leo's 6Changes.com site? (Also, did you guys get an insane amount of snow in London last night? My brother-in-law in Reading had 50cm!!!!)

Andrea said...

I am off to find his blog right now...if you love it chances are I will too. Hope you had a wonderful festive season and I am thrilled to hear that you are planning to be nicer to you in 2010, from what I can tell you are a lovely person and you deserve to be nice to yourself so I plan to keep you to it, even if only through this wonderful thing we call blogging.
xxx
A