Ruminating on Resolutions

I didn't make any New Year's resolutions.

It wasn't a conscious thing. It wasn't an unconscious thing. I just didn't think about it. In some ways, that's good - things are going so well that there isn't anything I want to change in 2006. But I have been thinking about it today.

I was over on Dan's blog earlier, and I commented that it was odd how developing good habits are so much harder than developing bad habits. Why is that? And why are so many resolutions framed in the negative? People say "I'm going to stop doing this" rather than "I'm going to start doing that." It's something I've dealt with in my life - trying to be a glass is half full person rather than a glass is half empty person. It's a constant battle (see? there I go again, framing it in the negative - a battle, rather than a challenge which at least connotes the possibility of a reward).

Anyway.

Just had lunch with the Unemployed Boy Next Door (haven't mentioned him in a while, have I?) He called and offered me a bowl of homemade soup, and since I'm pinching pennies, I readily agreed to join him for a free meal. It reminded me of my unemployment days - just sitting, talking about the news of the day, not worrying about where I had to be or what I had to do. He told me that his father had sent out the annual Christmas letter once again musing about his son - "If anyone knows what he does for a living, let me know." I wish there were some shocking story behind it - a CIA assassin! A retired mob hit man! A male prostitute! But it's nothing other than a man who did extraordinarily well on Wall Street in the 80s who had the good sense not to snort it up his nose.

So, here I am, procrastinating again. I need to finish writing an article for the woman who helped me get my job, and I have a crapload of work to do for the event that I'm chairing in (gulp!) six weeks. As I chatted with the UBND, he wondered aloud if there were things I could give up to make my life easier, and I realized that this women's group I belong to is causing me more grief than it's worth. If I were making connectionhs and truly professionally networking within this group, it might be worth the effort. But more often than not, I feel used and abused. So many others who freely say no when asked to step into a leadership post. So many who won't step forward and offer to help. Who needs it?

And the cost ... I pay annual dues, am required to attend monthly dinner meetings for which there is a charge, the requirement to purchase event tickets etc - I'm out $500 on an annual basis and for what? Hell, that's a week's pay! I could better use the time cooking for The Man or reading a book (BTW, congrats to Jenica who read 116 books in 2005), or just taking advantage of my new NetFlix membership.

Yeah. Something to think about.