Stop Acting Like It’s Summer

January 5, 2024, 1:00 pm
Filed under: Exercise, Food/Drink, Middle Age, Posts | Tags: adulthood, health, humor, mental health, Middle-Age, new year

New year, new me…blah, blah, blah. I don’t like resolutions because I never stick to them. Last year’s resolutions included:

Drinking less
Eating healthier
Losing 10 pounds
Stretching
Start jumping in my horseback riding lessons.

Let’s see…in 2023 here’s how that went:

I honed my bourbon taste buds, took a trip to Ireland and Scotland and discovered after two weeks of tastings and more liver abuse that I still prefer bourbon
My eating habits leaned farther to the Oreo and pizza side than veggies and protein; therefore I…
Gained 10 pounds and went up a size – I am now embracing clothes that actually fit instead of trying to squeeze into jeans like a sausage
I took a stretching class and managed to irritate already gimpy shoulders because…wait for it…I’m weirdly competitive at stretching – against myself
I had a couple of concussions from falling off horses – not even jumping.

So, screw the resolutions. But I did come across a couple of ideas that might make more sense.

First, someone asked, “Are you acting like summer in winter?” Meaning, why are you working at life with the same energy in winter that you do in the summer? Traditionally, animals and humans in the age of foraging and farming used winter as a time for resting and saving energy – through hibernation, fixing equipment, making and mending clothes, etc. These days it’s often the only quiet time we get, except for that “retreat” somewhere in a mountain setting which costs and arm and a leg, and half your PTO. Winter is a natural time for a lot of us to reflect, to eat hot, nourishing meals that warm our body and soul, and figure our shit out. So, unless you’re an avid winter person who relishes outdoor cold-weather activities, slow your roll and stop acting like its summer. Sometimes having no agenda is an agenda.

The other thing I thought was a good idea was to change the inner voice that groans at 6:00am, “Fuuuuuck, I have to go to the gym,” to “Fuuuuuck, I get to go to the gym because I can afford it and all of my limbs and faculties work well enough to let me get stronger.” Changing from “I have to” to “I get to” may sound like a bunch of new-age think strategy, but it really does help. However, I swear if any of you hear me say anything about a person’s “journey” you get to punch me in the face.

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Love your sense of humor in explaining the truth!!!

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Comment by Marcia Bracy January 5, 2024 @ 1:47 pm

Loved reading this; made me smile!
It seems you instead easily accomplished 2 worthwhile resolutions which were not on your list:
1. Educate yourself on a personal interest (whiskeys)
2. Be kind to yourself…the best resolution EVER!

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Comment by Susan January 6, 2024 @ 9:05 am