Monday, January 5, 2009

The T.T.T. Resolution

Put up in a place
where it's easy to see
the cryptic admonishment
T.T.T.

When you feel how depressingly
slowly you climb,
it's well to remember that
Things Take Time.

--Piet Hein, Grooks

Patience has never been one of my virtues. I've had many opportunities to practice it during these last seven years of parenthood, but it's not easy. I suppose no virtues are.

A few days ago, I wrote that it was time to make my annual impossible resolutions list. Instead, I think in 2009 I'm going to remember that Things Take Time, including:
  • Losing weight. I'm not a naturally thin person, but have maintained a healthy weight for most of my adult life. The past year, however, has been a different story; twenty-five extra pounds have appeared on my person. It's time to give them the old heave-ho. Rather than go crazy in a January fit of deprivation, however, I'm going to try what my wise friend Kathleen has been telling me for a long time: make the changes I need to make in order to take care of my health. I will make these small, yet hopefully significant changes, and observe my progress for a month. (If they don't work, I'll have to go into a February fit of deprivation.) Knowing that Things Take Time, I think that the goal of having the weight gone by my birthday in mid-August is healthy and doable. I'll aim for a pound a week, and that will give me some wiggle room, too.
  • Improving my fitness. This goes hand-in-hand with losing weight. I'm going to exercise five days a week, and six when I can. I feel best when I work out regularly, and it's good "me time," as well. I'm planning to head to the gym after picking Timmy up from school this morning. No time like the present.
  • Nurturing my writing career. I am starting the new year with a new and exciting project, and hope to get more of this kind of work going forward. Last fall I aimed for a magazine query a week, and that proved to be too much, as it's the coming-up-with-ideas part of writing that gives me the most trouble. I think a well-thought-out and constructed magazine pitch a month is more realistic.
  • Nurturing my spiritual life. Abby is preparing for her first reconciliation (confession) in a couple of weeks, in anticipation of her first communion in May. I cannot remember the last time I went to confession, and it's not for lack of subject matter. Because attending (multiple) masses is part of my cantoring job, it feels like a job most of the time. Making room for some other spiritual practices, such as going to confession and increased prayer, could be some baby steps in the right direction, after being stuck on my spiritual journey for a few years -- or even going backwards at times.

"Make haste slowly," my dear college voice teacher Mrs. Meyers used to say. I wasn't ready to accept her advice back then, but a few years of living have taught me that she had a point. Slow and steady wins the race. I may walk slowly, but I'm walking.

I'll post on my progress, and that will keep me walking.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Beautiful!

And by coincidence, another of my favorite blogs had this post today:

http://simplemom.net/how-to-set-goals-and-make-change/

cmmoore said...

A terrific list, dear sister. How brave and WONDERUL that you have made it public, so we can help keep you accountable. I look forward to watching you turn these new challenges into old habits. :-)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

wendy hf said...

Cheers and all the best in 2009. Thanks so much for sharing this, as I think SO very many of us can understand. You can do this.

Vinny said...

What's so funny is that I hadn't read your post before I wrote my own. It looks like we're thinking alike again. I hope you meet all of your goals. If we make it, we have to celebrate!