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Relationships
My New Year's Resolution
Maybe It Is Time To Try Something New.
Posted December 31, 2020 Reviewed by Lybi Ma
I’m not one to make resolutions because it is my opinion, if you want to change something about your lifestyle or yourself, you can do it any day of the year.
The one time I recall making a resolution was when I was a teenager. My parents took me to the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, and the night before the New Year I decided my resolution was going to be to give up sweets.
When we got to the parade my mother passed around some cinnamon rolls from my favorite bakery in Westwood, and within minutes I found myself with sticky glaze on my fingertips as I enjoyed every bite of more than one roll.
Well, that resolution lasted less than a day, so I decided that resolutions were not my thing, and like I said, should I want to change something in my life, I wouldn’t have to stick to a particular day of the year to make a change.
Over the years when people have asked me if I had a resolution, I’d always explain my reason not to have one because we can implement a change in our lives any day of the year.
Then one day several years ago, I was ordering a sandwich at my local Whole Foods in West Hollywood and knew the girl behind the bar. I tend to stick to the same foods for months at a time rather than start something new, hence, she was familiar with me.
She asked me about my plan for a resolution and I explained to her my concept of resolutions, but kindly asked about her resolution plans.
She said she was going to try new things; things outside of her comfort zone.
I remember thinking if I believed in resolutions that would be a good one.
Yesterday a friend asked me if I would like to go on a hike tomorrow. Due to the pandemic, I have been more or less secluded in my apartment for a long time and found myself remembering that girl behind the sandwich bar and her resolution.
I am aware that the state of California is in bad shape with the number of outbreaks and hospitalizations, but something inside of me felt like I should accept the invitation. I thought to myself, this would be a big challenge for me, and a good way to jump-start a new year and try something new, and definitely something outside of my comfort zone.
I stick to the rules of social distancing and mask-wearing, I was not sure why I hesitated. Maybe it’s because I have been so diligent for so long with the stay-at-home lifestyle that I have to ask myself why now would l decide to take her invitation? Plus, knowing that Covid- 19—which should be renamed Covid- 2021 starting tomorrow—has ramped up. Why would I decide to break out and do something new?
Something very much outside of my comfort zone.
I can’t continue to be a prisoner in my own home and live in fear of getting sick. It is possible to be responsible in my actions and behavior, why not try and branch out and take this opportunity to start the new year with a resolution that is somehow fitting to the times I am living in.
As a person of routine this will be a challenge, but a good one. This endeavor will be across multiple boards. It’s not just doing activities I would not normally do, or trying something new in my regular diet, but also trying to shift my emotional behaviors.
I have been stuck in a rollercoaster in and out of a relationship with my ex for so long that I can’t keep track of the time anymore.
Will it ever end?
How can I change my usual mental and emotional behavior? I can try and implement my effort to try something new and do my best to keep it at the forefront of my mind to try and break this ridiculous cycle.
When it comes to love and relationships, oftentimes we can get stuck in a toxic routine where we say, for example, okay I not going to do the blocking game anymore. Then you find yourself blocking and unblocking and blocking and unblocking and it becomes this tormenting psychological game of control, insecurity, and instability.
Nobody wants that.
Now, do I think tomorrow I am going to magically stop being stuck in a cycle of routine behaviors that impede my ability to make behavioral changes?
Of course not. But it is something to strive for and why not take a chance this upcoming year to try something new across multiple platforms.
Although I will inevitably have failures, at least I can attempt to move outside of my comfort zone, and do my best to stick to it.
Happy New Year everyone. If you’re not a resolution type of person or are looking for one, maybe this upcoming year is the time to try something new. It can even be as small as ordering tea instead of your usual ice coffee the next time you’re at the café.
