So, this is the new year

Today is the first day of 2014.  I know thanks for the sherlock report, right. But just in case you were still so drunk that you can't figure out what day it is, after all of your mad reveling last night, I thought I'd state the obvious.  2014 is going to be a different sort of year for me, and I'll tell you why.

I'm a bit of a mocker and a scorner as far as New Year's resolutions go.  In fact, I am downright derisive of goal setting in general.  I grew up with a subliminal distaste for setting a clear endgame and grinding away in pursuit of it.  And look how far flying by the seat of my pants has gotten me. So it seems like the New Year, which already comes with a tradition of goal setting, is the perfect time to resolve to be just a little different than in years past.  Maybe it's time to let a new thing spring forth even now, in my own life.

I am going to start out with resolving to write something every day.  I am not saying I will blog every day.  I will practice writing every day in some manner.  This is a goal, so if I don't reach it immediately, I'm also not going to completely give up.  Writing is really the only thing that I know I'm good at, and I really love.  It's taken me three decades to come to this point where I don't constantly hear the negative voices of self loathing and self doubt and no longer care what I imagine people might think of what I write.  I love it and I'm doing it.  The missing ingredients here are the "grind" mentality of doing the work every day in this arena, and (perhaps most importantly) an education in writing.  (For you newbies, my education in is Biology; it would seem one should have a doctorate in the Letters from Oxford or some such in order to be taken seriously in the field of literature.)

Next, I'm resolving to work out 5 times a week.  This one needs no explanation.  I have had a sporadic, at best, workout regimen this past year.  Don't get it twisted, I'm not trying to run a marathon (or a half marathon, cuz i'm only half insane), enter anyone's garage games or anything like that...I'm just trynna be workin' on my fitness and han'lin' my bidniz...so that just in case the fight or flight instinct should kick in, I will be ready and able to heed its call.

Third, I am steadfastly committing to cleansing my constant inner monologue of all inactionable thought trash. 2013 has been host to an obscenely busy brain locked inside my skull, through whose gray matter freeways have been carved out by repetitive rehashing of thoughts that don't need thinking.  So, if I cannot act upon the thought and it isn't adding to my life by its truth and loveliness then I will, as Nanny would say, schlingitiva! castitute! get rid of it.  I have a tendency to wrap myself in the warm blanket of obsessively looking down several roads that diverge in a wood and then going on a walter mitty style walkabout down each and every one of those meandering roads.  This is an utter waste of time. It ends as of today.

This next one should probably have been first, but I'm also bad at prioritizing: cling to Jesus like my life depends on it.  Grow closer to Him, learn His voice, listen to His voice, allow Him to have His way in my life.  I'll probably need a few more moments of solitude, a little more of the little things that bring you closer to God.  I am bad at these things and my resolve seems weak in this matter.  Jesus will most literally have to take the wheel on this resolution.

Included in my resolutions this year are some travel plans: I'm taking my sons on an epic road trip this year...one that requires planning and perhaps a bigger vacation budget than in years past and I'm going solo to Europe...so, I suppose I should head straight to the passport office tomorrow. Or the next day.

So there they are. They are simple resolutions for the most part-hopefully that is going to translate into some of them lasting the year.  Or not. We will have to see. Happy New Year's and if you live in Malaysia and have been checking out my blog please leave a comment!