Goals for the Chinese New Year

While I may not be Chinese, but I did miss the boat on the plethora of New Year’s Resolutions that are made around the turning of the New Year, so I plan to rectify that with this holiday. However, my goals usually start simple then turn into something more complicated as time goes by because you have to build a foundation. Four Things that I want to do in my life that I would think would greatly improve it.

“Wake up no later than 8 AM.”

Right now, one thing that really perturbs me is just waking up late, because one, I’ll have to hear it from my Grandpa for not being up at the right time, and two, that time I have before my Grandpa is awake is such a nice and quiet period around the house. He wakes up around 9 usually. Need to embrace that as it sets a strong mentality going forward in the day.  

“Set aside 20 minutes for daily stretches.”

Whether it be elementary positions that work the main muscles, or sit-ups and pushups, some sort of dedicated time to do this is so beneficial. I have done it this week, since Monday, and it’s been great. A terrific destresser.  So much tension has been running through my body, just my situation at home and being a caretaker, and things like this really do wonders for the mind, body, and joints.

“Read a book a week.”

This was a goal I realized about a month ago that I have kept at it actually, yay. My girl just gave a book bag full of Kurt Vonnegut novels (read a "A Man Without a Country" and was enthralled by every essay) which should keep me busy for a good while. He really is like a contemporary version of Mark Twain, one of his literary heroes, and I read a lot of good ole’ Samuel Clemens’ work back in High School (and thoroughly enjoyed it). Reading is awesome too, so mentally stimulating and so beneficial to one’s own writing as well.

 “Spend in an hour daily working in the garden.”

Whether it be weeding, watering, replanting, or doing a combination of them all, this goal is pretty important to me because that is what I want to do for my Grandma, who just passed with Lung Cancer. If there is one thing that I know that made her happy, are her plants. I know this because when she was getting sicker, taking her outside would not make her feel better, but worse, because she wished more than anything to be able to go outside, without the aid of a walking device, and be there with the inspects and spiders, tending her plants. Then the conversation would always turn to her commentating about how my Grandpa has always tried to cut or kill all of her plants, which would frustrate her.  I’ve always had a passing interest in growing plants, my dad was a long time Horticulturist, but recently I really do want to excel at it, and since I am home most of the day and every day, I want to know my surroundings, the yard included.

Four rather simple goals but stuff if I stick too, will help me 1^st, and then help everything I am around and associated with.