Resolutions 2018!

So I feel I had a well-balanced weekend, with satisfying proportions of partying, drinking, relaxing, roaming aimlessly in a mall, eating out, eating at home, eating a beautifully cooked meal at home by wifey, sleeping enough, reading (umm..not so much this damn bugger!), engaging in physical activities, and overall doing well on the resolutions. Yes resolutions – I’ll start with that. So I understand that this is my first journal entry for the year 2018, so this is supposed to be special. But I don’t believe in special for a day; I believe more in the specialness of the daily grind, the benefits of just turning up for it, so I’ll just try my best to make it a bland, commonplace entry, that I may yawn while reading 10 years from now.

I made a few resolutions at the beginning of the year. Again, I don’t like the fact that resolutions are made only at the beginning of the year. I mean how does it matter when does one make the resolutions? But one cannot deny that there is a new sense of purpose, a new excitement at the beginning of the year which if channelled well, can lead to some progress in a positive direction. So I just try to channel this energy that is produced at the beginning of the year all around us. Also, it makes that much more sense to start off with something after the holidaying that naturally comes towards the end of the year. Like after partying on the Friday, you want to do something constructive on the Sunday (assuming the Saturday was spent sleeping off the hangover). The same way, after the grand partying/holidaying/vacationing at the end of the year, it’s easy to feel a page turn, a certain chapter end, and to begin something anew. It’s not difficult to feel motivated. So I decided on a few things.

Keeping physically fit is quite on top of my resolutions list. I did not want to make it too hard on myself that I end up so far away from my resolutions that I stop tracking it entirely. Modesty is the way to go about it. So Cardio for 20 minutes twice a week. Strength training for 20 minutes twice a week. I feel even if I fulfil this modest goal – less about immersion but more about regularity – I felt I would be better off by the time the year ends. And achieve this I honestly feel I can. And I will.

Exercising my back for 5 days a week. This became all the more important because of the recent troubles I had with my back. In fact, while holidaying in Hampi for the new year celebrations, I spent half a day in bed with a balm and a hot water bottle on my lower back. I hate myself for it, and this is something I would want to see myself overcome. No more back problems.

Practicing the guitar, learning the keyboard, or just spend time singing – just 20 minutes, for 6 days a week. Again, less depth, but more regularity. I know if I keep doing this so regularly, I’ll improve for sure. And improve I want to. I always want to keep improving in whatever I do in music. Yesterday guitar, today keyboard, tomorrow – maybe drums, who knows. The pure joy that playing music gives me is unmatched.

Reading of course. I ended the last year with 40 books against my name. This feat I have been achieving for 2 straight years now, so this year I want to better it. I target to read 48 books this year, that is, 4 books per month. Not an easy ask while focusing on my job, which I expect to take up a lot of my time and energy in the year 2018, and trying to keep up with the other resolutions. But how will I better myself I don’t push myself? I know this particular aim I may end up missing, but I’ll never disappoint myself, because reading books is something I just love doing. So even if I fall short, I know I’ll be proud of myself for trying.

Writing a journal 100 days in the year 2018. I ended up writing 60 days in the year 2017 averaging about 750 words per day (about 45,000 words in the year), so this should not be a big ask – about once every three days, or less.

I also want to make my writing more structured, so writing a short story a month is something I aim to do this year. It may all come out to be quite shitty, but shitty is what you get when you are trying to get out all that is on the surface. Once I get all the shit out of the way, the good stuff will start pouring out – as Ed Sheeran said in one of his interviews. So basically, I plan to shit 12 times this year, and shit well and good at that.

Travelling to a 6 new places this year is something I aim to do. The experience of travelling is something I would not trade for anything else in the world. I also expect to travel enough this year for work purposes, so this may not be that difficult to achieve after all.

Finally, on a recommendation from my sister, I want to read about writing for a small amount of time for 5 days a week. I may have my favourite authors that I follow and whose works I love reading. But my sister, the only author who I know personally, is the one who inspires me the most. Her dedication to the craft is unmatched and the ease with which she manages her time, while taking care of a toddler at the same time, is nothing short of miraculous. I’ve also seen her grow as a writer and I know destiny has wondrous things in store for her.

And to all of you who have read this, I wish you get the strength and perseverance to pursue your own habits, interests or hobbies – whatever you may call them – and track them well this year. Cheers to 2018!

P.S. – I’m using an app called Loop – Habit Tracker to track all my resolutions. It has quite a simple interface and the creators have not complicated it unnecessarily. Though you may try some other similar apps as well, sticking to such an app to track the progress on your resolutions is something I would strongly suggest.