Observables #68

to being less pantsy in 2023!

Wading into 2023 has been confusing because I don’t know how I feel about resolutions. I’m somewhere between R. Eric Thomas who writes here:

“One of my most annoying traits is that I loudly refuse to make resolutions at New Year's. Me making promises to and about my future self?! Unacceptable. I have no idea what that guy is going to do. He's nuts.”

And go-getter Sahil Bloom, who has 23 earnest resolutions which you can read here.

So reluctantly I started a list for myself, but tried to capture some of Eric’s levity. In 2023 I want to:

1. Chew my food.

2. Read more poetry, starting with The Hurting Kind by Ada Limón.

3. Play more Ticket to Ride with my children.

4. Buy a luxury candle at some point, because these flavours, c’mon!

5. Shush the inner critic for longer and longer until she is so quiet..shhh…

6. More mini workouts.

7. Go on more quick dates with my husband. (Listen to the Reframeables Patreon episode for more on this!)

Then Elsie suggested that I keep it simple with this condensed list:

1. Have a positive mindset about bad coffee for 2023 (because then I’ll be easier to have brunch with).

2. Think less, write more.

3. Get a new phone.

Cos items from top to bottom WITH Doc Martens. The Docs are what’s important here. Honestly, I have never felt so powerful walking—or should I say clomping— around the city. Maybe because they weigh 3 pounds and I’m actually more powerful.

My mom, on the other hand, says she’s fed up with life being so “pantsy”—Cos pants or not. In 2023 she wants to wear more dresses. Yes, Mom, these are the kind of resolutions I can get behind. More dresses. Less pantsy.

Life is too short to be pantsy when you want to wear dresses. Go with me on this…maybe 2023 should be more about claiming all the stuff (shit!) about myself that needs claiming. The over analytical, very precise woman who I keep trying to call relaxed…just go ahead and get pantsy with her, Rebecca. Maybe pick one of those one word mantras. Maybe not WOMB or CHLORINE (actual suggestions to guide one’s year according to happierhumans.com), but you can’t go wrong with EASE or LOOSEN? I don’t know. Hm…

Not knowing is also a good way to start the year…

When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami, a memoir about his life as a runner and how it connects to his writing craft. I’m liking his commitment to his own idiosyncrasies. More pantsy!

If you think about it, it’s precisely because people are different from others that they’re able to create their own independent selves. Take me as an example. It’s precisely my ability to detect some aspects of a scene that other people can’t, to feel differently than others and choose words that differ from theirs, that’s allowed me to write stories the are mine alone…So the fact that I’m me and no one else is one of my greatest assets. (Murakami)

Does anyone else need to hear this?

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