I’m not very good at keeping to resolutions because a lot of the normal ones don’t really apply to me. I’m sober so I can’t say that I’m cutting back on my drinking. I’m a runner so I don’t feel I should be dieting. I don’t smoke. So that leaves fun stuff to set as goals.
My friend and I used to sit together on New Year’s Eve and write each other a list of ten goals to achieve throughout the coming year. They would always be fun little challenges like to eat a hot Nando’s meal or to eat strawberries and cream at Wimbledon.
We don’t get to see each other all that often so I’m writing myself a list of things that I would love to see happen in the next year. Some of it will be so unlikely but I think that we need to put it out there into the world if we are ever going to get those things in our lives. So here goes:
To start, I’d love a roll top bath
To soak in nightly, filled with bubbles
And with sweetly scented salts.
Then I’d like to see ballet
From the Royal box above the stage
Where swan-like dancers boldly grace.
I’ll climb a mountain somewhere near or far,
Perhaps in South America, or maybe just in Wales,
As long as I can stand on top
Imagining I’m Queen of the world.
And when I’m done I’ll read a poem out
To an audience that paid to hear
A word or two by me.
I hope that you have a great year and make sure that you set yourself some outlandish goals. I only have the room for a roll top bath in my kitchen so we’ll see how that one works out.
Much Love
Rachel xx
V.J. Knutson
Love these goals. Rich with whimsy – something we should all seek this year.
patientandkindlove
It’s best not to linger in the real world too long, after all….
V.J. Knutson
Agreed!
Margot Kinberg
I love the idea of setting goals that are fun and whimsical, but that – who knows- could happen. Thanks for sharing yours.
patientandkindlove
Ah, that roll top bath. A girl can dream…
Greg Dennison
I don’t know enough about what life is going to look like to make goals… if things get much worse here, I might pack up and start over somewhere far away, and then I won’t be able to accomplish many of the goals I would be making.
patientandkindlove
I think that you should just set yourself some fun things to do then. Try eating something you’ve never tasted before or going for a walk on a route you’ve never been. Keep it simple….
Greg Dennison
That works. I’ll think about that. I’ve been thinking about buying a nice road bike, but selection at bike shops is really wonky right now, and my attempts to do so earlier this week didn’t work out. But I still have my old bike… maybe I’ll plan a new extra long ride this year, or try to do all of the previous extra long rides again at some point this year. (A lot of that will have to wait, though, because I don’t like doing extra long bike rides when it’s cold, and some of them are one-way rides that require buses and/or trains to get back home, and I don’t really feel like this is a safe time for public transportation unless it’s an absolute emergency.)
(“Extra long” to me means over 30 miles. I think my current one-day record is 56 miles. My favorite extra long ride is to ride from my house across the Drawbridge to the town where I lived 20 years ago, the one that “Jeromeville” from my writing is based on; that takes about 2 1/2 hours. Then I’ll ride around all the bike paths there that I still know by heart for a few more hours until my butt hurts and I’m exhausted, then I’ll take two buses home. There is also a 34 mile trail along a river here going gradually uphill to a large man-made lake; doing that entire trail, then about 1/3 of the way downhill until I start to get too tired, then taking a train the rest of the way home is another extra long ride I enjoy doing. In 2019 I did both of those extra long rides within about a month of each other; I think that was the first time I’ve ever done both in the same calendar year.)
(I’m getting sidetracked now, reminiscing about bike rides… :\ )
clcouch123
Grand list of goals, especially for being both fun and meaningful to realize. I hope that you’ve been enjoying the first and that the rest go on and up from there (here).
patientandkindlove
I think that the fun element is going to be key after the 2020 we’ve all had! It’s nice to encourage yourself to do something new and that’s not too hard to achieve.
Heidi
Love this! My goals are mostly pretty standard…weight loss, household organization (a lot of that!), and saving more money. But I did put a couple of fun ones in there, too, like cooking more of my grandmother’s recipes and going on more dates with my husband. Hope you have a fabulous 2021! I’m very excited for the new year. 🙂
patientandkindlove
Ah, date nights are a great one! I’m thinking of getting online and having a go at the dating thing. You never know what you’re going to be meeting though!!!
crispina kemp
Achieve just one, Rachel
My goal last year was to publish The Spinner’s Game (all 5 books of it). Done that.
My goal this year is to publish Learning to Fly, and then to get on with writing The Hare & The Adder
What I didn’t expect to happen last year was my health to improve to such an extent that I’m walking pain-free for over 10 miles at least once a week.
Or that I’d find such wonderful supportive friendships on Twitter
So my message:
Make one achievable goal. And let Life surprise you with the rest
patientandkindlove
I love this! I call it swimming with the current. Just go with it and see where you end up…
crispina kemp
That’s the way. Hey, as a swimmer, you’d know 🙂