No Resolutions

     I'm not making any resolutions today.  No New Year's resolutions for me this year, I'm just going to let 2012 take me by surprise.

     All these years, since about 1966 (or as long as I can remember) I've been making some sort of New Year's resolution, a vow to myself, a promise to the world to: 

    Eat more

    Eat less

    Drink less

    Drink more

    Run faster

    Work harder

    Work less

    Sleep in

    Get up early

    Workout more

    Learn a new trick

    Dump an old habit

      Blah

          Blah 

                and blah

    The list goes on and on.

     All these New Year's resolutions collapsed one by one and somehow sputtered, fizzled out and died, so I would revisit them the following year with renewed enthusiasm and spirit (or was that guilt and embarrassment?  Maybe peer pressure?)

     When I finally quit drinking, it was on May 28th, 2007.  Nothing special about that day, although I'm sure it's someone's birthday, someone's anniversary, or someone's surgery date.  However, the day just came and the time was right to stop.  I stopped and it's worked every day since then.  I like that resolution.  

     November the 8th 2009 was the day I realized I needed to stop driving myself stupid with goals, work and pressure.  Perhaps it had something to do with my stress meltdown, but I took it onboard and so far it seems to be sticking.

     This morning I woke to the clean slate of 2012.  It was a glorious Florida morning: brilliant blue sky, a puff of mist over the lake, and a cool breeze coming in the open window which promised a gorgeous day.

     Yep, I thought, this year I'm not making any resolutions at all.  I'm going to let 2012 take me by surprise.  Whatever comes my way I will embrace or reject.  Maybe some day in February I'll decide to get back to the gym, but not today.  Maybe in July I'll think about training for a marathon in December, but not today.  That idea that I had about taking up kayaking ... who knows, maybe in May?

     2012 has the ring of a year of adventure, surprises and delights.  2012 strikes me as a time for new beginnings, end of old habits, and fresh ideas.  But I'm not going to plan a single one today.

     No resolutions for me this year.  I'm just going to let 2012 take me by surprise.

     Hmmm.  Somehow I think I just made a resolution ...