I know I'm about two months too late to be writing down my NY resolutions, but hey, better late than never! So here are the grand plans for this year (not in any order):
1. Exercise regularly. In researcher speak, it doesn’t matter that I’m relatively fitter than most others, I need to be healthy at an absolute level also. Do free hand exercises at home in case its still difficult to join a gym
2. Learn to play a musical instrument before the year is out. Can sign up for guitar lessons (memories of school fests always make the guitar seem so glamorous) or at least get my sister to teach me some basic piano playing (all the infrastructure and investment needed is already there at home!)
3. Join a language class – French, Spanish or at least Malayalam! Knowing a language that others don’t, can feel like a secret superpower
4. Stop dreaming about one day waking up to find that I have superpowers
5. Join a photography course – it combines aesthetics, creativity and stamps permanence on the face of time
6. Attempt playing tennis – again more for glamorous reasons. Keep having this vision of oneself smashing the ball across court with a glorious forehand shot. And yes, I was a Steffi Graf fan
7. Get my driver’s licence. Okay I know it doesn’t make sense till I get a car but hey I got a cycle and I still don’t know cycling!
8. Learn to cycle – wipe the dust off my beloved Dulaari (yes that’s what my bicycle’s been christened)
9. Keep a daily record of my expenses – I should know where I’m throwing my money! ‘Have money, will spend’ is not a good mantra
10. Take a vacation and get out of Kolkata. Going to places where I have family doesn’t count. Maybe go to the North this year.
11. Find out if there is some CRY / UNICEF programme I can help out with – not just financially
12. Stop and smell the roses – in other words, take some time off to do nothing rather than keep running around at a frenetic pace. Some quiet time is necessary to calm down
13. Take up one Home Décor / SUPW project – embroidery, cross-stitch, painting – it’s a good way of passing time and its creative
14. Shop more in local markets and less frequently at the malls. They have good stuff at cheaper prices – never mind the crush of humanity.
15. Read more non-fiction. Be it history, politics or biographies – it expands mental horizons and makes one realize that one is not the centre of the universe
16. Do the crossword everyday – it used to be feel-good factor once upon a time
17. Speak less about own life and listen more to others even if they are just cribbing – sometimes people just want you to listen, not share.
18. Remember what people tell me. It’s rude not to. Especially when they can recall what you told them.
19. Learn to cook – some dal, chawal, sabzi at least. It’s a basic survival skill.
20. Send people flowers – it feels good
21. Blog more regularly. What’s the point otherwise?
I generally do not make new year resolutions but i cud be 'inspired' by u....though my list would not be quite so ambitious :-) it would include some items you have there like learning a new language (French, perhaps), less spending (that would mean cutting down on cab hailing) and keeping track of what i do spend. It would also have my personal ambitions like write a book (or rework an earlier one), be less of a hermit and so on. Gud luck with ur resolutions. Will compare notes end of year. Ciao.
ReplyDeleteu know wats d best thing abt new yr resolutions?...u dont need to make a new list each yr, jus keep changing the dates:)
ReplyDelete@ Ranjana: Your list sounds plenty ambitious too! Yes, we'll compare notes but first, write that book! :)
ReplyDelete@ Jigisa: Hmm...the way things are going with my list, you just might be right! :)