Looking forward into the New Year, it’s tempting to think of New
Year’s resolutions and the great big list of Things One Should Do — but
I’m not going to do any that stuff this year. Oh, there will be changes
made, that’s for sure … but I’m not giving them the looming power of
capital-R Resolutions. As non-resolutions, these ideas and reminders
will not inspire bitterness or guilt when they are inevitably bent and
broken, just a bit, right around the middle of March.
Instead, let’s think of changes brought about for the New Year as
Preventive Maintenance. Every body, mind, and soul has things that it
needs to keep it working smoothly. Getting back to basics and paying
attention to those basics will help keep you runnin’ through next
December. Like the old saying goes, it’s the smallest things that mean
the most.
Everyone’s list will be different, but I’m writing mine down, mostly
for my own benefit — because it’s not really real until it’s down on
paper, but also to show y’all that the little things to indeed mean a
lot.
Reading stuff. This will keep me from being stupid,
and therefore is one of the most important things I’ll do in the coming
year(s). I try to make a cursory sweep of news sites and current
events blogs and recipe web sites and Tumblrs of pretty vintage
pictures, but making time to read books — with thoughts and ideas
deliberately thought out and written into paragraphs and chapters — is a
necessary part of my day. Every day.
Manicures. I type a lot, and after a long day of
sitting at the computer, I kind of feel like I’ve got a pair of
shriveled-up T-Rex arms. A good manicure comes with a hand/forearm
massage; a really good one comes with a massage that is out of this
world! Having someone bend and flex and stretch the muscles and tendons
in your hands is my notion of a heaven. Simply heaven. And it’s
definitely worth $20 every couple of weeks. Plus, pretty nails!
The Gym. Nope, not for losing weight or toning up, even though
those are some pretty fantastic side effects. My gym preventative
maintenance routine is purely for cardiovascular health and strength.
No goals, no scales, no nothing but just going there two, maybe three
times a week and seeing what happens.
Converse lo-tops, the blue ones. These offer no
traction, no arch support, and are the only shoes in the world that just
become comfy about the time the sole starts falling off. Therefore,
these are my favorite shoes of all. Converse lo-tops, the blue ones,
keep me comfortable, and grounded. They are the favorite shoes of my
youth and keep me mindful. I cannot aimlessly walk through puddles or
over sharp objects, I must be alert and aware – it’s a good reminder.
The “No Jerks” rule. John Waters once said, “True
success is figuring out your life and career so you never have to be
around jerks.” And he is absolutely correct in that. So from here on
out, everyone who’s jerkish presence is not necessary is hereby banned; I
don’t have the time or mental space to deal with it. Sometimes there
are necessary jerks — TSA gropers, busybody relatives, that one barista
who seems to hate you for no particular reason — and while those can’t
be avoided altogether, I can remind myself that I only have to deal with
them for a few moments. They have to live with themselves.
So, there you have it. Small things, easy things, things I’m
kinda-sorta doing already. Instead of setting up unrealistic goals and
lofty expectations, I’m just going to be mindful of the everyday bits
and pieces that keep me going in my best possible way. There are some
things I could also add as secondary maintenance items — like
small-batch handcrafted gin, frozen waffles, and unrepentant afternoon
naptime. It’s all about accepting your needs and making sure that you
are meeting them in a healthy way. Or, in the case of the gin, with
tonic and a splash of bitters.
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