I am not resolving to lose weight this year.\u00c2\u00a0 I\u2019m not resolving to quit smoking, learn another language, reach out to old friends, or drive less antagonistically.\u00c2\u00a0 Among other reasons (for instance, I don\u2019t smoke, so how could I quit?), I\u2019m not resolving to do anything.<\/p>\n
I have a project set up for this year.\u00c2\u00a0 A 365-day project that involves going to the gym one hour a day five days a week.\u00c2\u00a0 It involves a little black book and a pencil, the means by which I\u2019ll track my progress.\u00c2\u00a0 At the end of the project (which won\u2019t begin until mid-January), I expect to be several pounds lighter.\u00c2\u00a0 I expect to be able to do consecutive pull-ups.\u00c2\u00a0 Because I\u2019ve got a goal that is not, ultimately, to lose weight, though it\u2019s definitely a part of it.<\/p>\n
No, I have a project.\u00c2\u00a0 Like 2010\u2019s 365 Days of Color and 2009\u2019s Self Portrait Challenge, it\u2019s another full year commitment.\u00c2\u00a0 This time, though, it\u2019s to the gym.\u00c2\u00a0 No, actually, it\u2019s to me.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s not a resolution.<\/p>\n
With the New Year, many people resolve to do many varied things, and without doubt some will succeed.\u00c2\u00a0 Most, however, will give up inside two weeks.<\/p>\n
I read somewhere that it takes 21 solid days to develop a habit.\u00c2\u00a0 That means, if you do set a resolution, in order to keep it you\u2019ve got to focus on that thing every day for at least three weeks.\u00c2\u00a0 You\u2019ve got to think about it, re-visit it, renew your commitment, daily for most of a month.\u00c2\u00a0 You can do it.\u00c2\u00a0 I know you can.\u00c2\u00a0 I also know you probably won\u2019t.\u00c2\u00a0 I\u2019m not here to judge.\u00c2\u00a0 I\u2019m here to suggest that you can, and you should, but you have to pay attention to it.<\/p>\n
By setting up this 365 day project, I\u2019m building right into it the idea that I\u2019ve got to think about it daily, that I\u2019ve got to consider what I\u2019m writing in that little book and why.\u00c2\u00a0 I\u2019ve got to focus on the things I\u2019m doing at the gym.\u00c2\u00a0 Yes, technically, I can go to the gym for an hour and spend the whole time sitting at the chest press machine and watching all the pretty people running through their work-outs.\u00c2\u00a0 My guidelines say I must go for an hour, not that I have to do anything while there.\u00c2\u00a0 But those same guidelines also say I have to write down what I do.\u00c2\u00a0 I\u2019ve got to be accountable.<\/p>\n
And that, I think, is the secret.\u00c2\u00a0 Accountability.\u00c2\u00a0 I\u2019m not accountable to anyone but myself, but that should be plenty good enough.\u00c2\u00a0 It\u2019s not like I\u2019m going to welsh on my own deal.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not a resolution.\u00c2\u00a0 It\u2019s a project.\u00c2\u00a0 There\u2019s a reasonable and reachable goal.\u00c2\u00a0 There are side effects (like the weight loss I expect to experience).\u00c2\u00a0 Daily consideration and accountability are built right into it.\u00c2\u00a0 And further, since I\u2019m also doing a weekly self portrait photography project, you ought to be able to track my physical results with me.<\/p>\n
Wish me luck on my project.\u00c2\u00a0 Whether you\u2019ve got a project or a resolution, I wish you luck on yours.<\/p>\n
Happy New Year!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I am not resolving to lose weight this year.\u00c2\u00a0 I\u2019m not resolving to quit smoking, learn another language, reach out to old friends, or drive […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4,1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.darkfluidity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/891"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.darkfluidity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.darkfluidity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.darkfluidity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.darkfluidity.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=891"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.darkfluidity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/891\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.darkfluidity.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.darkfluidity.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.darkfluidity.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}