New Year's Resolutions

Every year, you hear countless people making new resolutions for the new year, promising to lose those 20 pounds, quit smoking, go to the gym more...yadda yadda yadda... and I've never been one of those people. I figure that if you're going to make a life change, then you're going to do it. If you're not, you're not. You don't need a special day to motivate you (unless, I've been told, your wedding date is looming near and you simply must fit into your size 6 dress - whatever that obsession is about!).

However, as 2005 quickly approaches, I find myself making more to-do lists than usual. And the odd thing is that some of the things on my list are the prototypical New Year's happy-go-splat resolution-type deals: go to the gym more, no more self-pity, etc. Honestly, Christmas takes so much out of your average adult that you no longer have time to take care of the details during the month of December. So my gym membership fell to the wayside, and my job search all but disappeared, and my social life simply went "kaput!" and a cloud of smoke appeared where my friends used to be.

For me, I realize that 2004 has been a tiresome year. I'm quite happy to see it go, and am looking forward to working towards some loftier goals in 2005. Even something as simple as working out at the gym is getting an overhaul. I've decided to take up some yoga this year; as I've never been the most flexible woman (technically speaking here, I would wager that most men are more flexible than I!), I think it would be nice to get some good stretching time into my day. Especially now as my body is beginning to age, and certain deficiencies are beginning to show: like getting shin splints when I run, and actually being sore for days after a workout (hmmm, methinks me body is telling me to warm up first...). So, there's that. I am going to become an early-AM, power-bar inhaling, water-guzzling, fanatical yoga queen!

My other big "resolution" (if you want to call it that) is to really put some major effort into my job search. My friends Mark and Toni sent me a really wonderful email earlier this month about career hunting and lending me some emotional support, and it's really inspired me to try harder. My several-pronged plan is to make up several resumes and send them out to all book publishing job openings; to make an appointment with the agency downstairs in my building who find people temporary to permanent jobs in a field of their choice; to prepare for and take the U.S. Department of State foreign service exam; and to apply to the Columbia University Publishing Course, which is a six-week program that starts in June 2005.

I think my 2005 is off to a racing start, don't you?