“Hope Smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering ‘it will be happier’…”
What a year – 2017. What a relief that it is behind us. It’s been quite a bit more than a year since I’ve posted on this blog, and one of my first resolutions is to get back to things that bring me joy, including musing about life on this blog. 2017 was for me a low point (more on that in a later blog), so I’ve got high hopes that this new year will be happier. And that starts with a few resolutions that I’ve made. I’m not a huge believer in strict resolutions, but I think the new year is always a good time to take a moment to reflect on life and realign our behaviors with our hopes for how we’ll live life. Here are some of my resolutions and how I plan to implement them.
- Consume Less Plastic.
We are in the midst of a crisis, people. Since the 1950’s we have been producing unthinkable amounts of plastic, to the tune of 8.3 billion metric tons. According to a study published this year, of this amount, 6.3 billion metric tones have already become plastic waste, and only 9% of that waste has been recycled. That means that we have billions and billions of tons of plastic waste in landfills or otherwise littering our planet. Think about all of the plastic that you personally consume and throw away in a single day – from food wrappers, to packaging for just about anything that you open, to grocery bags, straws, disposable utensils at lunch – and on and on. Scientists predict that by the middle of this century, there will be more plastic waste in our oceans than fish!
It sounds like an overwhelming problem, and leads one to think – well what can I do to change, and will it really make a difference? YES. Every little bit counts. And if more and more people take small steps to change their plastic consumption, we will make a difference and effect change for the future. Here are some small steps that you can take:
A. Recycle, for Pete’s Sake! I know it can be confusing sometimes whether something is recyclable or should be thrown in the trash, but when in doubt, throw it in the recycle bin. At my house, our recycle bin fills up at least 3-4 times faster than the trash bin, so you can see that so much of what you throw away can actually be recycled. Also put the pressure on others around you when you notice that they are not recycling. I had to bring my own recycle bin into my office (now you know I’m not in San Francisco anymore!). As luck would have it, the day I brought it in, I rode up in the elevator with the CEO of my firm, who eyed me strangely and asked why I was bringing my own trash can in. I am hopeful that he took to heart the fact that we need more recycle bins in our office from my mini-lecture that day explaining that it’s about time we had more recycle bins around the office, particularly with the amount of paper being consumed daily in law firms!
B. NO MORE GROCERY BAGS. Throw several reusable tote bags in your car so that you are always prepared when you go to the grocery or other shopping. They are sturdier than plastic bags and far more stylish – there are so many options for amazing totes! Also lots of stores these days give reusable bags when you buy things, so hold onto those and reuse them. At the very least, ask for paper bags rather than plastic bags. They are also sturdier, and you can use them for wrapping paper around the holidays.
C. Do without the straws. This has been a hard one for me – I love a good straw, especially a bendy one. BUT, plastic straws are one of the most common items of plastic pollution out there, and because they are small, straws can cause real harm to wildlife, particularly in the oceans. If you MUST have a straw, why not try a reusable straw? I have a few of them that I use for smoothies in the morning, and I throw one of them in my purse for when I grab a coffee out.
2. Work Out More Consistently
How cliché – but you’ve always got to have a reassessment at the beginning of the year on how you’re doing with exercise. I’m simply not doing anything lately on any sort of a consistent basis. Which for me means increased back pain, less confidence, less quality sleep, clothes not fitting well, fewer opportunities for stress relief and overall far less happiness. So I am vowing to be more consistent – not more intense, not taking on any new sports or taking on any new challenges, just being more consistent in physical activity more often. I am historically a binge exerciser: I sign up for a marathon, do some half-hearted training, and then suffer through a race. And then promptly do nothing for 6 months until I muster up the courage to sign up for another race. And in fact my last race was a half marathon that I didn’t train for at all – I just went and ‘winged’ it and somehow came out unscathed on the other side.
No more – I am getting too old for these antics. So I’ll stop signing up for these races and instead set small goals and work smaller physical feats into my normal routine. For me that means much more yoga. I’ve got an amazing yoga studio nearby, with classes generally scheduled at times that should be okay with my hectic work schedule. So I’ll aim to get to the yoga studio 3 times a week, or to substitute a yoga class or two with a run outside if it’s particularly lovely and I’m in the mood. But I’ll be vowing to get to at least one yoga class a week, and to work out generally (whether running, yoga, swimming, cycling, or just going for a long walk) 3 times a week. I have a yoga-loving friend who texts me regularly to encourage me to join her, which is a great help – I’m incentivized to not hit the snooze button knowing that she’s expecting me, and knowing that I’ll enjoy my yoga even more with her. I also know how important exercise is for me as a source of stress relief. And coming off of perhaps the most stressful and anxiety-filled year so far, it’s an absolute must for me. So here’s to consistency in 2018!
3. Waste Less Food
We score a big fat ‘F’ for how much food we waste in our house. And it’s just the two of us. Which is part of the problem most likely, because I buy too much food at the store each week and then we end up working late some nights and eating out, or not taking the time to prepare lunches to take to work, or just cooking a bit too much and throwing it out rather than saving the leftovers for later consumption. Or worse – saving the leftovers but letting them sit in the refrigerator rather than eating them. A friend of mine was aghast at our food waste a few years ago and I had honestly never thought we were guilty of it. But I realize now (after so many months on the road without a refrigerator or pantry) that we really do have a problem. So here are some things that I’ll be doing to cut down on my food waste:
A. Meal Planning! Yes, I know – it sounds like a lot of work – who has time to think about what to eat for the week? But really it will only take a few minutes and will actually cut down on stress later in the week when trying to figure out what to eat for dinner. I’ll generally think realistically about how many nights a week I’ll be able to get out of work on time to cook a proper dinner, and then plan out what those meals will be – I don’t have to plan which nights I’ll eat what, just what 3 or 4 (hopefully) dinners to get groceries for, and make a game time decision each day on what to cook depending on what we are in the mood for. Add the ingredients needed only for these specific dinners to the grocery list, along with some fruit and yogurt for breakfast, and some very easy lunch items (because if packing a lunch takes too long or is too complicated, it will be brushed aside), and that completes the week’s grocery list. And then I don’t have to decide after a 12 hour day at the office what to cook – it will be easy: pick from one of the 3 meals you’ve planned for, because that’s all the ingredients that we have.
B. Grocery Shopping from a List. I love to wander around the grocery store, and especially when I’m hungry that means I throw in a lot of things that are not necessary and that we won’t be able to consume before they go bad. From now on I’ll shop from a list that I’ve thought through in advance. That way proportions are in line with the reality of how much we will need for the week.
C. Make extra food at dinner that will be a perfect lunch to take to work the next day. This will help cut down on the extra money I spent grabbing a sandwich at the only so-so deli downstairs, and will also ensure that we are eating everything that we cook for dinner. Often, I’ll make just a little bit too much, but it’s not enough for another full meal, so by intentionally making extra, I can ensure that we’ll eat it all in a couple of meal settings and none of the food will go to waste.
4. Do More of What Gives Me Joy and Less of What Doesn’t
This sounds like a no-brainer, but it is a really difficult one. Our days and weeks and months are filled with obligations, like most of us. I am a classic YES girl. I don’t like to let people down, and I also have an unreasonable expectation of how much I can fit into a single day or week or month. After all, as I have been reminded from time to time, we have as many hours in each day as Beyonce. Well … we don’t have as much help as Beyonce does, or most of us don’t, so let’s all ease up on ourselves. For me, the repeat offense is that I say yes to everything (or worse- volunteer myself), end up taking on too much and then I crash and burn. It happens all the time. So I will start being more intentional about how I spend my time.
I won’t be guilted into agreeing to activities or tasks that I don’t really want or need to do (this is a hard one – especially when the requesters are friends and family). But it is nothing short of self preservation that requires that we be selective with how we spend our time and energy. I will stop volunteering for everything just because that’s my first inclination. That goes for hosting parties and meetings and showers, unless I truly want to and can realistically fit it into my schedule. I will stop volunteering to do everything at work. Someone else can run those meetings or plan the next project – it’s not going to fall through the cracks just because I am not the one in charge. For this extremely type-A person, this is a truly difficult task. But I’m up for the challenge. I will take more time for blogging, because that makes me happy. I will make more time for exercise and in particular yoga, which keeps me healthy, happy and sane. I will make more time for myself, by myself. I need my alone time and I don’t get nearly enough of it. So I will find windows of opportunity to stroll around by myself, to sit at a coffee shop with a book, or maybe even some solo travel from time to time.
Now that it’s February, I’ve already started implementing some of these resolutions, and really have to get started on others. What are your resolutions this year?
BY Jackie
BLOGGED FROM St. Petersburg, Florida
