Today is the 316th day of the year which means there are now fewer than fifty days until that night we leave our friend’s New Year’s Eve party and fall into that hydrangea bush again. What’s worse, this is the absolutely fastest fifty days on the calendar, so the year is, for all intents and purposes, now over. Which is grim news for folks like me still clinging to New Year’s Resolutions made in the heat of guilt the better part of a year ago.
In case you missed my post (how could you miss one of my posts?!) here’s a refresher for you. (The numbers in parentheses were the odds of the given resolution being kept past January 15.)
- This is my “No Help Here” category which, despite its name, was actually intended to help people. I haven’t really done that. In 2009 I resolve to try and help people on this blog beyond just the usual entertainment and commiseration. (42%) Don’t worry, though. It’ll still be funny. (98%)
- I resolve to lose more weight, exercise more often, and blah dee blah blah blah. (28%)
- Remember the Alternate Reality #1 post last year? Well, I still have a strong interest in music. I should spend more time with it. In fact, I resolve to re-learn how to play the third movement of Moonlight Sonata by the end of this year. (17%)
- I like to write. I’ve been trying to write, in one form or another, for nearly sixteen years now. I’m already working on my next book. (Actually, it’s a three-book series.) I resolve to finish the first pass of the first book by the time I re-learn how to play the third movement of Moonlight Sonata. (14%)
- I resolve to finally get the garage cleaned out. (2%)
So how’s reality stacking up to the plan? Well, let’s take a look:
- I know I helped one person because she sent me a lovely note about it a couple weeks ago, so I’ll count this one as done. And I think things are mostly still humorous around here.
- Lose more weight? Well, yes, technically. I began 2009 at around 210 pounds and I made it all the way down to 193.5 on June 30, before everything sorta fell apart. But now I’m back around 205. Upside? Still technically less than where I started, and I shouldn’t complain about that. Downside, I’m up over 12 pounds from my low point. But don’t worry, next year I resolve to lose more weight, exercise more often, and blah dee blah blah blah.
- No progress whatsoever. I hardly get to play at all.
- When I wrote, “I resolve to finish the first pass of the first book by the time I re-learn how to play the third movement of Moonlight Sonata” I meant that to be a synonym for “by the end of this year.” Of course, now that I’m reading it 315 days later, the so-big-you-can-drive-a-truck-through-it loophole is definitely going to work in my favor. That said, I don’t want to wait that long. While there’s no way I’ll finish the first draft by year’s end, I’m definitely making progress, and that’s far more than I can say over the last sixteen years.
- I took two days off last week to clean the garage. The garage is not clean. But it’s cleaner. Not a lot, mind you, but every little bit helps. At least I finally threw out (what used to be) $15,000 worth of computer equipment. Funny how something can go from shiny and exciting to worthless pile of metal and plastic in fifteen short years.
So there you go. How are your resolutions doing? There’s still time!
on November 12, 2009 at 12:10 am
4 out of 5 (or 3.5 out of 5) isn’t bad! Probably much better than most people’s new year’s resolutions go, certainly better than mine.
on November 12, 2009 at 8:38 am
So your percentages are the reason why I never make New Year’s resolutions. (Yes, it’s all your fault!) But for some unknown reason, I realized two days ago that yesterday would be the beginning of the last 50 days of the year and decided to set some goals. Which mostly have to do with resolve to losing more weight, exercise more often, and blah dee blah blah blah. Sigh.
on November 12, 2009 at 8:48 am
Sadly, I can’t get at my list for this year at the moment. I do remember most of it, and even if I didn’t get my specific goals complete (have X amount completed by Y date) I covered the majority of it fairly well, I think.
I had a flower garden this year, I worked on getting my Blue Moon rewrite done, I started an unexpected project, I’m nearly done with the edits on my collab novel, Song of Binding, I have continued to make healthy choices with regards to food and exercise and have lost/maintained instead of gaingaingained. I’ve started learning how to play the piano, and I’m spending more time socializing with actual humans rather than pixels.
=]
Glad to hear you’re doing so well on your goals, as well! You may not have hit all of your points as much as you’d have liked, but you did have forward movement, and that leads to momentum as long as you keep at it.
And I’m looking forward to reading that book of yours!
on November 12, 2009 at 8:57 am
It’s kinda scary thinking back Charlie, why do you do this? lol
1. Weight – 1lb less than I did in Jan, although my all time low for the year was another 9lbs less!! Jeez! thats worse than you! lol
2. Exercise – actually, been very consistent and even started badminton again, so bravo to me!
3. Meet a fella – Hmmm! Well, I met 3 and all 3 were disasters…lol
4. Move house – nope, still here
5. Do some voluntary work – nope!
I’m disappointed in the last one. Will have to rectify that by end of year. There’s still time ……
tusc 🙂
on November 12, 2009 at 9:58 am
I am making an end of the year resolution.
I survived Halloween without any candy, so I am resolving to lose weight over the holiday season and get a head start on Jan. 1.
I did a few things, I finally finished my associates degree, I completed a course getting certified as a nutrition and wellness consultant.
And, I worked on my blog, so I’ve got that goin’ for me!!
on November 13, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Hooray for cleaning out the garage! Maybe at least one car will fit in it now??!!
My plan is to be 155 – a mere eight pounds – lighter by January 1. If I make it I’ll celebrate and instantly put on five pounds in two days! 😀
on November 16, 2009 at 5:45 pm
I’ve actually been pretty proud of my resolution progress this year. I’m about 3.5 out of 5 myself (to be fair, NaNoWriMo made this skyrocket from 2.5 to 3.5, heh). Perhaps it might be kinda futile to make resolutions on one day of the year per se, but I like that it’s a yearly reminder to evaluate and reset our goals.
Sadly, the get to my goal weight resolution was the one that failed completely. I have lost since Jan 1st (about 10 lbs), but I’m still 2-3 lbs from my low in April.
on November 16, 2009 at 8:47 pm
You’re right… the year is almost ended and face another year.. Well, I already resolved my stressing weight and will be more happy for more years to come :-0