Welcome 2012

I hadn't been out of bed even an hour when an expletive I was not proud of escaped my lips, I had dropped something on the floor. No one was around to hear the offending word, for which I am grateful.

My husband and I went to church this morning.  I started yelling at him when the place he chose to park had me hemmed in between a snow bank and an ice-covered street. Thank goodness, he is slow to anger and brushed off my tongue-lashing with a chuckle.

So much for my good intentions to start off the New Year as an even-tempered, considerate person.

I've spent six decades looking forward to a new year with hopes for a new beginning, forming of new habits, and leaving negative behaviors behind. Somehow, though, it just doesn't work that way.

Even our pastor, during this morning's service, commented that "New Year's resolutions are made on January 1st and broken on January 2nd."

 Resolution embraces and encompasses change. Change requires a certain amount of planning, purpose, and perseverance.

Change also comes about as a result of necessity.

If the doctor tells me to lose weight to lengthen my life, I'll start paying serious attention to my diet. If my willy-nilly filing system prevents me from finding important papers I need repeatedly, I'll probably make a conscious effort to clean and organize my desk.

Last year, I tackled my OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) tendencies and abandoned one of my daily routines. I used to, methodically and obsessively, keep track of literally every penny I spent. If the balance on my Excel spread sheet didn't agree with the amount of cash I had on hand, I would sometimes spend hours looking for the discrepancy.

It was difficult for me to turn loose of that habitual task. I experienced a significant level of anxiety for about a week after I stopped keeping track of daily expenses.

That was over six months ago, and I see no major difference in my expenditures. I do see an increace in the amount of free time I have to pursue things I enjoy. I've learned that I need to weigh the balance of what is won and what is lost in giving up some long-standing habit or routine. We need to evaluate whether the change will improve or hinder our life-style, relationships, or attitude.

What would you like to change this year?

Thanks for reading my blog!