Happy New Year! 2020 Vision

"AND NOW WE WELCOME

THE NEW YEAR, 

FULL OF THINGS

THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN."

Rainer Maria Rilke

Most often you will hear people make resolutions to do "More" of something.  I think I'm going to focus on doing "Less" of some things this year and hopefully moving forward in life.  My hope is that by doing less of things that one might consider hinderances then there will naturally be more of the good.

So if I say I will sit less, then I will be walking or standing more.  Of course, if I eat less, then I will be more healthy.  If I procrastinate less, then I will be more productive.  If I shop less, then I will have more money.  If I worry less, then I will be more happy.  If I spend less time on social media then I will have more time for reading or my art or trying new things.  If I care less about trivial things then I will be able to focus more on the important things.  

It's really a matter of getting a good balance.  The scales may have tipped too far in the wrong direction for certain things and pushing myself to do "more" makes it more like work and in the long run, as most resolutions go, less likely to adhere to.  We can't always counteract a bad habit by just pushing ourselves to do more of the good.  I think we have to look at what we've been doing that's been bad and do less of it.  New Year's resolutions that have one giving up things "cold turkey" are more likely to fail.  There should be a gradual change over time.  When that clock strikes midnight the slate may be wiped clean for new things to begin, but the things that are not good for us still exist.  They're there with us unless we stop doing less of them.  

I think that's why so many resolutions fail after the first month.  The goals are unrealistic.  If you say you want to lose weight you have to accept the fact that that is a gradual process.  If you say you want to procrastinate less then you can't be making a list of things to keep you busy every minute of the day to feel like you've accomplished something.  You have to set small goals.  I know if I eat less candy in this first week of January I will be losing weight, but there is a bigger goal there and I'm willing to work towards it.  In the same way, I know that there is a lot that I want to accomplish over the course of this next year and I have to be realistic that it's not going to happen right away.  It will take time and effort and doing less of the things that have been holding me back or getting in the way, and that won't be easy because let's face it, some of those things were easier to do.  And some of them brought fun or enjoyment in their own way.  

It's a matter of balance.  Finding balance.  Less IS more.