Resolving Resolutions

New Year's resolutions don't have to be the worst! They can be the best!

Today is the 13th of January, so we’re going to talk about New Year’s resolutions! I know what you might be thinking: “Eve! What are you talking about? You’re almost two weeks late.” WRONG! The notion that New Year’s resolutions are supposed to go into effect on January 1st is absolutely absurd. As we all know, the week between Christmas and New Year’s day is a null and void period of time. And then - on the day that we emerge from our collective coma - we’re supposed to get down to brass tacks on our resolutions? When did we even have time to think about what we want our resolutions to be??! By my calculations, the last time I had free time to ruminate and self reflect prior to last week was literally before Thanksgiving.

It’s no wonder so many people bail on their shiny, new, ambitious goals after a week or two. As far as I’m concerned, you shouldn’t even be setting out on your journey of self improvement, whatever form it takes, until a week or two into the year. So…right now! If you’re a little behind on goal setting, this is great news for you. If you hit the ground running on Jan. 1, and you’re already resigned to the fact that you’ll just have to try again next year - this will be either be great news or bad news depending on whether you actually want to do the things you set out to do. Even if you start again now (inspired by moi), and you drop off a few weeks down the line, you can always start again. You make the rules. Any time you genuinely want to set a new goal or form a new habit, you can just….do it.

So, without further ado, here are the things I’m going to just do this year!

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Meditate

Yep. I’m putting this one first because it’s sooo…obvious. I’ve been told by friends, family, random wellness influencers, doctors, etc. that I should really try it. And I believe them! I truly do. At some point within the past two years without really trying, I even became aware of HOW to do it. But I never took the leap until now!

I’m referring specifically to mindfulness meditation, which is basically just closing your eyes and focusing on your breath. Every time your mind wanders, you just gently say, “hey! come back over here!” like you’re talking to a child, and start thinking about breathing again. At least that’s what I do. I’m not an expert (obviously), and I know there are lots of books and podcasts and apps and resources out there. Those things create too much pressure for me, so I’m just winging it. To each their own!

This week (starting Monday, Jan. 9), I have been spending 5 minutes a day sitting on my bedroom floor, leaning against my dresser, with my eyes closed, thinking about my breath. That’s it. My mind wanders A LOT, but that’s okay. By day three, I was already looking forward to it.

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Make a physical recipe book

I’m not sure if this really counts as a resolution, since it’s more of a project. It does require prolonged engagement though, so I hereby proclaim it a resolution! I make the rules! I love to cook, and I love nostalgia. Put those two things together and you get a physical recipe book!

From a practical standpoint, I’ve decided it also just makes sense. I have some things that I cook over and over (i.e. Westville turkey burger or rigatoni al baffo (OMFG)), and I pretty much know how to make them, but I like to pull up the recipe anyway. I don’t have an organized recipe system, which makes finding these recipes a total pain-in-the-ass process of keyword searches in my texts and emails and tracking down random instagram posts from 27 months ago.

No longer! I’m making a recipe book. I’ve done a lot of research - mostly on Etsy - and after MUCH consideration, I’ve decided to order large recipe pages on nice thick paper (these ones specifically), which I will then handwrite recipes on and put them in a binder. Kind of extra, I know, but I like it. Other ideas I toyed with were recipe cards in a box (too space-consuming in my tiny kitchen), using a downloadable template to type my recipes, then print (too sterile), or just being a normal person and printing out recipes from the websites where I find them (not aesthetically pleasing).

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Read poetry & memorize it

I love poetry. It’s good for the soul, and I don’t read enough of it. This year, it is my goal to read one collection of poetry per month. This is nice because it is a very reasonable goal. Most poetry collections are pretty short and digestible. Also now that I’ve told you all that I’m doing this, if a month goes by without me mentioning the collection of poetry I read, I’ll feel like I’m letting you down.

This resolution is a two-parter. I also want to start memorizing poetry. Nothing crazy - just short poems that I love, so that I can have them stored inside my brain. If I can actually retain the poems I memorize, that would be incredible. If not, I’d still feel good about it because the act of memorization is good for the brain. This is something I just vaguely believe, but realizing I have no evidence to back up that claim, I did a quick google and found this NYTimes article, which pretty much sums it up.

My first poem will be “The Silken Tent” by Robert Frost, which I’ve set as my phone background. It’s my favorite poem, and it’s not too long, so it’s a great place to start.

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More snail mail

Admittedly, this is something I already do. However, I am looking to ramp it up even more this year, so it counts. Yes! You can make something you already do but want to do more a resolution. Amazing! This year, I will send more letters, postcards, cards, etc. It’s super easy if you keep stamps around, and it’s so loving. People feel special when they receive something unexpected in the mail, and it’s so nice to make the people you love feel special. It makes you feel special too.

I mean, who doesn’t want to receive texts like this??!

My favorite stationary store is Greenwich Letterpress, and I like to buy postcards at the Strand. I also have a lot of blank cards at home that I plan on using this year. My goal is to send 4 cards a month, which is one a week, but it doesn’t have to be one a week it could be four in one week. In February will obviously surpass my goal because of Valentine’s Day, the card lover’s Super Bowl. <3<3<3

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Compliment strangers

Last but not least, short & sweet - compliment strangers. Two things about this one are particularly exciting to me. First: receiving a compliment from a stranger has day-making power. Make more peoples’ days! This is particularly true when the thing you're complimenting legitimately deserves to be complimented. We (royal we) don’t give undiscerning or fake compliments. We only compliment things that we actually like. To find things we like so that we can give compliments, we must pay attention to our surroundings, which is the second thing about this resolution that excites me. In a city like New York there’s a lot of things to see and a lot of people who want to be seen. See them! And then say something nice and make their days.

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So - Happy New Year, dear reader! A couple weeks late, but just on time. I hope my approach to New Year’s resolutions, amidst a sea of other approaches, is relatable, inspiring, comforting, whatever. The most important thing to remember is that in this way and every other way, we are the authors of our own destinies. We don’t have to follow any prescribed New Year’s pattern. It’s a relief because it means we can decide, but it’s also a responsibility because we must decide, or nothing will happen. When it all comes down to it, I say do nice things, things that feel good, things that make people (yourself included!) happy.