I’m not normally one to make grandiose and unattainable New Year’s resolutions, but I do try to set a few intentions for the coming year. These are usually divided into two categories: 1) “do-able” small personal changes — changes I can easily effect, and 2) ways to raise awareness or consciousness, or to help my community. As 2008 winds to a close, I am thinking about ways I can improve myself and the world around me in the coming year, and you might be, too.
I’ve come up with my 2009 workbook of intentions. Some are new and some are extensions of things I am already doing. None of these require huge changes and if I can keep them all going (no pressure, right?), I will feel like I am doing good — no, fine — in 2009.
Travel lighter. For me, 2009 will be a year of purging in many ways. The new year brings a move for our family as soon as our current lease is up. We are looking to downsize our rent which means living “lighter” in many ways, beginning with “less stuff.” Getting rid of extraneous crap begins now, starting with the dozen or so boxes of “books-we-can’t-live-without” in our garage (packed up two moves ago) to ridding excess in all areas of our lives. Books, toys, and clothes will be donated. Nothing new will be purchased (we don’t need anything).
For me the most essential part of the “reduce, recycle, reuse” equation is the reduce part, and that is what we will be doing in 2009. My goal: Nothing in storage except for seasonal decorations and sports equipment (and even those could use a purge). What are you purging to make room for 2009?
Make food choices that make sense for my family’s budget. Like so many others, I am inspired by the recent food-focused writing of folks like Barbara Kingsolver and Michael Pollan, but growing my own food and/or sourcing everything 100 percent local just isn’t realistic for my family from a cultural, time-management, or an economic perspective. We try to shop local whenever possible; eat seasonally; keep a small patio garden where we grow herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers and lemons; we limit meat; and we limit processed items, but we’re having to make some adjustments.
Weekly shopping at the farmer’s market was a luxury we cut out to try and help our family budget. It was getting expensive, so we now limit the shopping to once a month and I make smarter choices at the regular market. In 2009, we will continue to eat sustainably and well but with an eye towards what’s best for our health and our pocketbook. I hope to chronicle those adventures in this column. Will you be making different food choices in the new year?
Bike or walk more — and take time enjoy it. One of the reasons we chose to live where we live is so that we don’t have to use our car for everyday errands. Our city is generally flat and replete with beautiful, bikeable, tree-lined streets. It’s never too cold, doesn’t snow, so what are we waiting for?
In 2009, I will plan my time better so that I can bike the kids to and from school on a regular basis and I will make time to slow down and enjoy those walks to the coffee shop. As a work-at-home parent, my alone, quiet time is precious. I will learn to take a more mediative approach to the time I spend alone on my bike or on walks. When you bike or take walks, do you take time to notice you surroundings or are you lost in thought? Is that something you can change in 2009?
Do one thing to help my community. Make it more than just writing a check. Important to me anywhere I live is feeling connected to my community. I am a networker by nature, and the kind of person who creates community whenever and wherever possible. My door is always open to neighbors needing a cup of sugar or spur-of-the-moment babysitting so they can run a quick errand. But in 2009, I am looking to do more.
I spent three years teaching third grade in an inner city school and my heart longs to be back with that community. Tutoring elementary students at a local community center a few times a month is definitely something I can do this year. What’s one thing you will you do?
Learn something new. This is one I haven’t quite figured out and I may be well into the new year before I choose my new thing for the year. Last year was my year of learning to live greener (normally), hence the name of this column. This year I’d love to learn a new language or about ayurveda or about how green collar jobs can transform our economy. I want to try tai chi and take a class on Indian cooking and work out with Russian kettle bells. My problem is time. And indecisiveness. What is one thing you will learn how to do this year?
And there you have it: five new intentions for the coming year, all easily within my reach. Some will impact my own life in a positive way and some will impact my community, but I don’t my life as separate from the world around me. We are connected, so what benefits my community also benefits me and my family. All are deeply personal and are intended to be long-term changes.
I always feel like making resolutions puts unnecessary pressure on people at this time of year, and can lead to so much guilt and disappointment when you don’t stick with it, but think about it. What’s one thing, one small, attainable thing you can do next year to make the world — your world — a better place? No pressure.