One of my least favorite posts to write each year involves my list of New Year's resolutions. This is not so much because I am afraid to face my failures or to see where I fell short, but rather because I am uneasy about baring myself too much. However, I make the choice to "get naked" before you because somehow I hope that this might be helpful to someone out there in some way. Perhaps a reader might understand that they are no more a failure for not measuring up to their own goals than anyone else. Maybe it might help someone not to feel so odd or so worthless. I truly believe that we should not let ourselves be marked by our failures, but by our attitudes and our goals. So, I present my list of New Year's resolutions for 2014 and a few words on how I fared with each.
- To meet the woman of my dreams - I tried my hardest to meet someone this year, and though I went out on a few dates, I did not meet anyone that I resonated with. Lonely just won't leave me alone.
- To exercise the whole year - I did very well on my exercise this year from start to finish. I even began a diet in September that has resulted in a 7% reduction in my weight that was icing on the cake, so to speak.
- To make several new friends - This area was a total failure and I made absolutely zero forward progress. It turns out that it's not them, it's me.
- To grow closer to my daughter - This area was also a source of frustration to me. I feel so much better equipped to be a daddy to a young child instead of a father to a young adult. As my daughter continues her move toward full independence, I have continued to struggle to find a way to adjust.
- To embrace adventure and living to a higher degree - I thought I made some progress in this area last year, but if I did, I made several huge steps back this year. More and more I find myself just accepting my same-old, same-old life and morphing into a bad caricature of a "cat lady".
- To find some degree of happiness and peace - I have struggled throughout this year to find some measure of happiness and peace, but have not found anything that sustains me for any length of time. How I long to find my smile.
So, it seems that I have failed in nearly all of my resolutions, save one. But I will not let my poor showing bury me yet. My first step is to now prepare my list of resolutions for 2015 and to find ways, no matter how small they may seem, to make progress.
